Unusually
by Bloody Kaycee
Summary: In the dangerous world of shinobi, one must have something or someone to keep him sane. For Uchiha Itachi, it's a certain pink-haired kunoichi. Non massacre
1. Chapter 1

**Unusually**

**Chapter 1: In a very unusual way, this is what I call home  
**

Three shadowy figures sprinted through the dense forest on the outskirts of Konoha in the middle of the night. Although an Anbu mask was covering their faces, the joy of returning home from an A-rank mission cannot go unnoticed on their features. Even their stoic captain showed signs of delight in coming back home from their latest mission.

The mission that was assigned to them was a simple scroll retrieval mission in the Earth Country. They were to bring back an important scroll that was stolen from the client containing classified information about the client's clan and properties. They managed to take down the rogue ninjas that the enemy hired and succesfully obtained the said scroll.

The team captain took his mask off, revealing his aristocratic face and onyx eyes, after reaching the Konoha Gates. His two subordinates followed his action and turned to him for further instructions.

"I will deliver the report tomorrow to the Hokage" said Uchiha Itachi and nodded to his two teammates, a sign that it's time for them to go their separate ways.

"Hai" replied Shiranui Genma as he put both of his hands behind his head and started walking away. Aburame Shino gave his taichoo a curt nod before using a teleportation jutsu.

Itachi let a smirk appear on his face as he went to the opposite direction of the Uchiha Compound. Although it's embarassing to admit it, he missed her. He wasn't able to see her before he left with his team for the mission because she was on a mission with her own team.

He guessed that she's probably asleep now, since it's almost dawn, and she wouldn't appreciate being awoken from her deep sleep. But he needs to see her now. Unknown to his teammates, he got a stab wound on his left arm (on purpose) from the encounter last night.

Upon reaching her house, he jumped up to the sakura tree and landed on the branch next to her window. Careful not to wake the petite kunoichi, he slid in slowly. A small smile crept on his face as he saw her, sleeping soundly under the fluffy blanket. He was glad that she's here and not anywhere else.

"Sakura" he called out, loud enough to wake her up

"Hhhmmm???" she asked as she sat up slowly and rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"Itachi?" she asked as her vision finally became clear. Quickly, she moved to the side and let him sit on her bed.

"Don't tell me you got yourself injured again" she said sarcastically. There are only two reasons known to her as to why Itachi would be here in her house in the middle of the night. The first is when he got injured and wants her to heal him. And the second is when something happens between Itachi and his clan and he just wants to be away from them.

Itachi just gave her a look and stared at his wounded arm.

Sakura, being the medic that she is, stood up, let Itachi lie on her bed and examined his wound. It's not fatal but from the looks of it, it's already infected.

"When did this happen?" she asked with a worried expression as green chakra started to glow on her hands and she placed them on top of the wound.

"Last night"

"The wound is not that deep, just give me a few minutes" she said as she started on healing his wound. Just as she said, it took her only a couple of minutes to completely heal his wound.

"Thanks" said Itachi as he sat up from the bed.

Sakura learned long ago that Uchiha Itachi is a person who values his pride more than anything else. That's why when he turns up injured, he goes to Sakura and not to the hospital. Sakura asked him once why he doesn't want to be treated in the hospital. He said he doesn't want anyone to see him injured or in pain, and besides, she is more capable of healing him than any other medic in the hospital.

That made Sakura really happy. Itachi not only said that she's a great medic but also that she is one of the few persons he has complete trust on.

Well, there's no reason for Sakura to doubt Itachi's trust on her, they've been bestfriends since they were young. Their friendship is not something that can easily dissipate.

"So, how was the mission?" she asked as she stifled a yawn. She has this habit of asking him that question whenever he comes back from a mission. She doesn't know why she still asks him that question even though she knew already the answer. Itachi wouldn't come back if the mission is not completed.

Then Itachi gave her a look that told her "you already know". Even though he got used to that question, it makes him happy that she takes interest in his activities. Unlike his father and the other Uchiha clan elders who always expect him to be perfect.

"You are tired" he stated. Ever since he entered her room, he felt that her chakra is quite lower than usual.

"Yeah. I had a lot of patients at the hospital today. Plus, I healed Naruto and Sasuke twice during our training this morning. They said it was only a 'friendly argument' but it ended up with bruises and broken ribs" she said as she laughed a little, remembering their faces as she scolded them and treated their wounds in a rough manner.

"Hn" he replied. He really needs to lecture his younger brother about his habitual 'friendly arguments' with his blonde teammate. Sakura is the most affected afterall.

Sakura then lied back down on her comfy bed and pulled the blanket up her chin.

"You can sleep in the next room if you want" she said then closed her eyes

"Hn" he said as he stood up to leave. Just when he was about to close the door, he heard her voice again

"Welcome home, Itachi"

"Thank you" he responded then closed the door. He turned left and opened the door to a bedroom. He let himself inside and closed the door behind him. This is Sakura's parents' room back when they were still alive. But over time, it turned into his room because of the many times he wanted to be away from his clan.

At first Itachi had second thoughts about taking this room, this is Sakura's parents' room afterall. The room held many memories that are precious to she said that she doesn't mind and that he's free to have the room to himself since no one uses the said room after her parents passed away.

Deliberately, he took off his clothes and went to get a quick shower in the bathroom that was connected to the bedroom. After making sure that he was cleaned from all the dirt and grime he got from the mission, he stepped out of the bathroom and went to the dresser to find something to wear for the night. He wasn't really surprised to find almost half of all his clothes are in the dresser here in Sakura's house.

He opened the window and let the early morning breeze in.

This is home. Not in the Uchiha Compound, but here, next to his bestfriend. It's somewhat strange but he felt more at home with her than with his own family.

Sakura's been more like a sister to him. Sometimes he even thought that he's closer to her than his own brother. Well, the only bonding time they had was when he was training Sasuke or if there's a clan activity they both must participate in. There's no doubt that Sasuke has grown into a very skilled shinobi, thus, Itachi's assistance in his training is no longer needed.

But there's also no doubt that Sakura has become a special part of his life ever since the day he met her 8 years ago. He's also been a bit overprotective over her. Probably because she's the only female that he's well acquianted to (except for his mother) despite the growing population of the females who have an unhealthy liking to him.

And because he made a promise to someone that he'll take good care of her 8 years ago.

He has to admit that Sakura has grown to a very lovely lady and an excellent kunoichi. One couldn't blame her if she gets too much attention from the males, one perfect reason for him to be protective of her. But Sakura doesn't mind his overprotectiveness. Perhaps, she understands because she's protective of him too, in her own way.

Having enough of the early morning breeze, he closed the window and lied down on the soft bed. Within a few minutes, he was drifted off to slumberland.

* * *

Author's Notes: Hello there!!! It's my first time to write an ItaSaku pairing so I hope everything will go well...

This is will be a multi-chapter story so I hope you'll stay with me until the last chapter...

And since summer vacation has just started, I have plenty of time for writing!!! Yay!!! XD

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask...

And don't forget to review!!!

(*^o^*) Peace out!!! (*^o^*)

**Kaycee**


	2. Chapter 2

**Unusually**

**Chapter 2: In a very unusual way, you never fail to make me smile**

Sakura arrived at team 7's meeting place, unusually late.

"Oi! Sakura-chan!!!" yelled Naruto as he waved at her in his usual cheerful tone

"Is sensei here already?" she asked as she looked around for the silver-haired Jounin.

"Not yet, Sakura-chan. Don't worry" replied Naruto as he gave her a cheerful smile.

Sakura sighed in relief. She couldn't believe that she slept in! She was usually the second to arrive next to Sasuke.

"Sakura" she turned to Sasuke and saw a tiny glint of worry in his expression

"Hm?" she asked. Over the years, team 7's bond became stronger and stronger. The team became more like a family, each standing by one another. The boys of team 7 also grew protective of their only female member, especially when it comes to her love life. They wouldn't even allow a man to stand too close to her (with the exception of Itachi, of course). If someone wants to court Sakura, he must go through them first. Sometimes it's somewhat unhealthy, Sakura thought. But she understands. Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi weren't blessed to have a sister .That's why they're showering her with that friendly affection. But she's glad, because it's one of the many ways on how they show how much they care for her.

"Your chakra level is low" Sasuke stated in his usual serious tone. Sakura smirked inwardly, just like his older brother.

"Yeah, Sakura-chan. Did something went wrong?" asked Naruto worriedly

"Aside from healing you dorks yesterday, shishou asked me to help out at the hospital because they were short on medics and there were a lot of patients who needed immediate treatment"

"Yeah. Iruka-sensei told me yesterday that a group of chuunins who were scouting the area outside the village got attacked and were sent to the hospital" said Naruto

"It's been going on for almost three days. Some of the medics were forced to take double shifts. I wonder what's going on…" Sakura trailed off as she looked up at the sky as if searching for the answer

"Yo!" greeted Kakashi as he appeared in a puff of smoke.

"What's with the faces?" asked their sensei as he saw the look on his students' faces who look like they were thinking deeply to themselves

"Don't mind us, sensei. Let's get going!" she said hastily as she dragged the whole team to the Konoha Gates.

**~~~*~~~**

The sun's rays entered the dark room, bathing it in soft light. The lone occupant of the room turned on his side, avoiding the sun's rays from hitting his gentle face. Lazily, he opened his eyes and stared outside the window. Judging from the sun's brightness, he infered that it's already mid morning.

He lied on his back and stared at the white ceiling. He slept so soundly that he didn't even sense Sakura leaving. He found it somewhat alarming since he's a light sleeper.

But it seems that he's always relaxed whenever he's here.

The atmosphere feels really unwinding, compared to his house back at the Uchiha Compound.

Swiftly, he got out of bed and made his way downstairs.

He was a greeted with breakfast and a note when he entered the kitchen.

Sakura prepared him breakfast before leaving earlier. The said breakfast composed of bacon, an egg and fried rice.

Itachi smiled down at the food on the table. Even in her tired state, she still managed to make him breakfast.

He picked up the note and it read:

_Good morning, Itachi!_

_I'll be away on a mission and will be back tonight. You can have the place to yourself, as usual. So just relax, okay?_

_Love,_

_Sakura_

Without futher ado, he sat on a chair and ate his breakfast. He started planning what he'll do for today. First, he must submit the mission report to the Hokage and check if she has a mission for his team. Then he'll go back to the Uchiha compound and spend the night there.

But before anything else, he must clean the whole house. It became a habit ever since he started sleeping there. It's because his home back at the Uchiha Compound is always spotless clean, courtesy of his mother. So he found it somewhat irritating that Sakura's house has a lot of dust. But he can't really blame her though, she's a very busy lady and she doesn't have enough time to clean the entire house.

Itachi made several bunshins to help him in cleaning. Two bunshins went to clean the two bathrooms, two were told to get the laundry done, one was stationed to clean the bedrooms and another was given the task of cleaning the living room while Itachi worked on the kitchen.

He actually liked what he's doing. He must admit that cleaning the house is not an easy task. It made him appreciate what he's mother is doing everyday.

It took him and his bunshins an hour to clean the whole house. He smiled at his work then went to water Sakura's plants. After that he took a bath and proceeded with his plan for the day.

**~~~*~~~**

Itachi stood in front of the famale Hokage while she scanned through his mission report with piles of paperwork on her desk, the usual site in her office.

"Nicely done, Uchiha"

Itachi merely nodded his head in response as Tsunade looked up at him from the scroll she's reading.

"I suppose you want another mission" she said as she eyed the Uchiha

"Yes"

"Well then, here" she said as she handed a scroll to him. Itachi swiftly opened it and read through it carefully

"You'll need a medic for that mission" said Tsunade as Itachi slid the scroll closed and nodded in understanding.

"I assume you already have someone in mind?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama"

"You'll be leaving in three days. If you have no more questions, you can leave"

With a last bow, the young Anbu captain turned on his heel and exited the room.

He can't wait to see Sakura's face when he tells her about her upcoming mission with his Anbu team.

**~~~*~~~**

_The next night…_

There was no doubt that Sakura Haruno loves her job as a medic whether if it is in the hospital or in the field. It made her feel useful, it made her feel needed. It made her feel like she wasn't a burden to anyone anymore.

She gives her best, heart and soul, to her job.

Itachi, being the closest person to her, knew that fact more than anyone else. He had been her tear bucket back then when people called her weak.

That's why she gives her best in everything she does. Because she wants to prove to everyone that she's not that weak little girl anymore.

"But overworking herself doesn't help at all" Itachi said to himself as he approached the Konoha Hospital. Sakura's shift should've ended at 1:00 in the afternoon. But it's already sundown and she's still there.

People stopped and turned towards him as he entered the hospital and approached the front desk.

"G-good e-evening, Uchiha-san" greeted the nurse on the front desk nervously.

"Is Sakura Haruno there?" he asked in his usual stoic tone

The nurse just stared at him dreamily.

Itachi grunted irritably which made the nurse snap out of her reverie

"Oh, you're looking for Sakura-sama, right? She's at her office at the third floor, room 319" said the nurse as she smiled nervously.

Without anything said, Itachi left the front desk and up to the stairs to Sakura's office. He never understood why females would give him that look. But anyway, he doesn't want to dwelve further in that matter.

Promptly, he made his way to her office. He knocked on the door a few times and opened it when he heard no response inside.

The appearance of the room didn't catch his attention, but the occupant who was slumped on her desk, sleeping. The dark circles under her eyes told him that she was probably working since last night.

This is not the first time that Sakura overworked herself and he had to come all the way to the hospital just to get her.

He shook her gently and watched as her eyes fluttered open. She sat up suddenly and stared up at him.

"Mmm… Itachi?" she asked drowsily

"I'll take you home now"

Sakura stared blankly at him for a while before the cascading moon told her why he's here.

"I'm so sorry for making you worry, Itachi. I didn't notice the time" she said as she stood up and followed Itachi out of the room.

People kept on giving them odd looks when they pass through the corridor. But the both of them are used to those. Though it makes them wonder why they keep on receiving those after all these years of their friendship.

Sakura and Itachi's friendship was something that didn't go unnoticed by the villagers of Konoha. At first, they thought that what they have was something else. You don't normally see an Uchiha (especially the impassive Uchiha Itachi) hanging out with a girl. But what really intrigues the villagers is how did their friendship start?

They were complete opposites. Itachi was the anti-social type of person while Sakura is a very cheerful girl.

Many people already asked Sakura (since they're too scared to approach Itachi) that intriguing question. But she just shrugs it off and says that it's a long story. Even her teammates asked her that question once. But she always replies with her usual answer.

What happened 8 years ago which resulted to their unbreakable friendship will remain with just the two of them.

"Here" said Itachi as he stooped down on his knees and offered his back to her for a piggy back ride. They were outside the hospital now.

Itachi's offer didn't surprise Sakura at all, not from all the times he's done that. He's been giving her piggy back rides ever since they were young.

"Okay" came her response as she gripped his shoulders firmly and let him carry her.

"You overworked yourself, again" he stated in a displeased tone, stressing the last word

"I'm so sorry, Itachi. I wasn't supposed to help out at the hospital since I just came back from a mission last night. But there were a lot of patients who were rushed in, most of them were shinobi who just came back from a mission" she said, hoping that he won't be mad at her anymore. But she was glad from the bottom of her heart at her bestfriend's concern.

"Hn"

"Uhm… Anyway, is there something you want to talk about?" she asked as she noticed that he took the long route to her house. If he simply wanted to take her home, he should've just used a teleportation jutsu or used the shortcut like he always did.

"Yes" he said as he looked over his shoulder to look at her

"You will be joining my Anbu team in a mission"

Surprise washed all over Sakura as her face lit up in excitement.

"Really? That's great!!!" she exclaimed in glee

"We'll be setting off tomorrow morning"

"But…" she trailed off, thoughts running through her head

"What is it?" he said casually, noting that something is bothering the girl on his back.

_What if I won't be able to help them succeed in the mission at all? What if I'll just be a burden to them?_

She shrugged those thoughts out of her head. She's a jounin now and many people bore witness to her talents as a shinobi.

"Stop doubting yourself" said the male who is currently carrying her, snapping her out of her thoughts

"And besides…" he said as he looked over at his shoulder again to her

"I'll be there" he said as his lips twitched upwards, almost like a smile.

"You're the best, Itachi" she said happily as she leaned closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

Yes, she might not make it on her own.

But Itachi will always be there for her.

* * *

Author's Notes: First of all, I would like to thank all the people who reviewed, subscribed to story and author alerts and included my story in their favorites. I'm really at a lost for words. I really didn't expect those hehehe... XD

Anyway, I got a little delayed in publishing this chapter. I've been away with my family for a little summer vacation in our province. And the summer heat is killing me...

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask, okay?

I'm really using this summer vacation to write as much as I can because when school comes back I don't think I'll have enough free time to write at all.

And the room 319 is a significant number for me. It used to be the room where have our rehearsals for the Sophomores Musical Play at school hehehe... College stuff...

Thanks again for the reviews and for subscribing to story alerts!!! You all deserve a big hug from me!!! *HUGS*

See you on the next chapter!!!

(*^o^*) Peace out! (*^o^*)

**Kaycee**


	3. Chapter 3

**Unusually**

**Chapter 3: In a very unusual way, you're always there by my side  
**

Itachi waited for Sakura outside her house. The sun is going to come out in a few minutes and they must depart for their mission soon. Their mission is to investigate the attacks that have been happening outside the village, eliminate the people who are responsible and rescue the Konoha nins who were held captives. The enemies also cast a paralysis jutsu on their victims. That's why the chuunins who were attacked are still at the hospital, unable to move any part of their body because of the jutsu.

"Sorry to keep you waiting" said Sakura as she went out of her house and locked the front door.

Itachi gave her a curt nod before they sprinted off to meet the other members of their team.

They were the first to arrive, typical of Itachi. He'd rather wait for a few hours instead of making his team wait for him even for just a few minutes.

Sakura sat on the bridge's railing while Itachi rested his back on it, closing his eyes as he did so.

"So…" said Sakura after a few minutes of silence

"My main purpose in this mission is to tend to the shinobi who were captured, right?"

"Hn"

"What time is it anyway?"

"1:00 am"

"But shouldn't we meet at 1:30 am?"

"It's my principle to be early"

"The sky is still dark, isn't it?"

"Hn"

"Thanks for cleaning the house the other day, Itachi. You really are a great help"

"Hn"

"Who are your teammates again?"

"Aburame Shino and Shiranui Genma"

"Oh… I'm quite acquianted with Shino. He and Hinata were teammates together with Kiba back when they were still Genin. And as for Genma… I think he was my patient at the hospital a few months back…"

"Yeah and your healing power rocks, Sakura-chan" interrupted a deep manly voice. Sakura turned to his direction and saw Itachi's teammates making their way towards the bridge. She was glad that their teammates are finally here. She wasn't sure if she can keep up with Itachi's stoic mood anymore.

"Good morning" beamed Genma. Itachi gave him a simple nod as response.

Then Genma turned his head to their female teammate.

"Nice to finally meet you, Sakura-chan" he greeted as he offered his hand for a handshake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Genma-san" she said as they shook hands. She then turned to face the pride of the Aburame family.

"Hi Shino. It's been a while since we've seen each other" she greeted as she flashed a small smile. The bug user just gave a curt nod in response.

With the introductions done, the team went to start their mission.

**~~~*~~~**

They have been travelling for almost three hours now. The sun is already in the horizon, the start of a new day for most of the villagers.

Suddenly Genma went beside Sakura while they lept through the trees.

"How are you holding up, Sakura-chan?" he asked through his boar mask

"I'm holding up well, thanks for the concern" she replied through the cat Anbu mask which Itachi gave her earlier.

"I'm glad to hear it" he said as he fixed his gaze in front. Itachi was leading the way with her and Genma behind him and Shino who was at the last.

It took them another hour to track down their enemy's location. There were about 50 shinobis there, resting inside a cave, completely unaware of the four shinobis watching their moves.

"Shiranui, Aburame" called Itachi. The two looked at him from their anbu masks, waiting for his orders.

"You take care of the rest" the two nodded in response as they readied themselves for battle.

"Sakura," said Itachi, not even bothering to turn his head and face her

"You'll come with me inside the cave where their leader is" And with that he gave his team a final nod then they sprinted to action.

Genma threw a smoke bomb inside the cave, catching the attention of the rogue ninjas and also making a way inside for Itachi and Sakura.

Sakura blinked her eyes out for the tenth time to see through the heavy smoke. Itachi seems to have no problem at all with the smoke.

"Sakura" spoke Itachi as they kept on going further into the cave.

"Yeah?" she asked as she turned her head to look at his masked face.

"Search for the prisoners and tend to their injuries. I'll take care of their leader" he said sharply, noting the authority in his tone.

"Okay. I'll meet you outside then" she said then turned to the other direction to search for the Konoha nins who were held captives. Itachi went ahead to the place where their leader is.

Sakura closed her eyes and concentrated on sensing the prisoners' chakra. They probably have their chakra levels low so she must try harder.

After sensing a faint chakra to her left, she masked her chakra and ran towards its direction. It didn't take her long to find the cell where they keep their prisoners. She detected three guards inside. One was wearing glasses, one had a bald head and the other had dark skin.

_**This is it, Sakura! Show those guys who's puny**_

With a deep breath, Sakura barged in, catching the attention of the three startled guards.

"Who are you!?!" the guard who has dark skin asked as he got ready for battle

"It doesn't matter, you're all going down anyway" she then punched the ground, causing the debris to fly in different directions.

She punched the bald guard square in the jaw when he came to attack her. He flew backwards and hit the wall harshly, blood coming out of his mouth.

She pulled out several shurikens filled with poison from her pouch and threw it to the two guards. The guard with glasses easily dodged it while the dark-skinned guard got hit in his right arm.

"Is that all you can do, girlie?" he said arrogantly as he pulled out the shuriken carelessly, the poison still unknown to him.

She smirked at him and didn't give a verbal response but instead threw another punch on the ground which made the three guards stay a few meters away from her.

She then made three kage bunshins and each appeared behind each guard's back, landing a hard kick on their backs. She then let her bunshins take care of the two guards while she fought against the dark-skinned man, the one who was poisoned. It won't take long before the poison will spead through his whole body, rendering him useless.

She threw several kicks which he dodged with difficulty. It was getting hard for him to move his body as each second pass by.

Sakura smirked in triumph as she saw his minimal movements. She then threw a chakra-infused punch on his stomach, knocking him out.

"You'll pay for that!" said the guard with glasses as he charged towards her with a katana at hand. Her bunshins are already gone. The katana hit her in the side and she winced in pain. She quickly made some hand seals for a wind jutsu

Suddenly a whirlwind came, smashing the two remaining guards to the wall and knocking the air out of them. In a blink of an eye, she made another bunshin and together they landed a chakra-infused kick on each of the guys' ribs, breaking several ribs in the process. She then threw a chakra-infused punch on their stomachs, knocking them unconcious.

She smiled in tiumph then felt the pain in her side. She examined her wound, it's quite deep but not poisoned.

"SAKURA-SAN!!!" a male voice yelled. She's the only one in Konoha with pink hair so she was easily recognized even with a mask.

She looked around and saw the source of the yell, it was a Konoha shinobi locked up inside a prison cell. She remembered that person to be Maguko Ryoshi.

"_My injury can wait"_ she thought as she went to unlock the cell. Aside from the bruises on the his body, she could tell that he was poisoned too. She made him lie down on the cold floor as she started extracting the poison from his body. The poison is a usual one so they have an antidote for it in the hospital.

"You're good to go" she declared as she stood up and helped the Ryoshi back on his feet.

"Thank you, Sakura-san. I never thought that you'll be the one to rescue us" he said gratefully as they walked out of the cell.

"Don't mind it, I'm with an Anbu squad. Anyway, how many were taken hostage?" she said as they entered another cell where a Konoha shinobi lay unconscious

"There are three of us"

Sakura nodded at him then proceeded in healing the unconcious shinobi. Like Ryoshi, he's poisoned too. She then went to extract the poison from his body. Extracting poison, unknown to many, is one of the hardest procedure done by a medic. It requires perfect chakra control and if it slipped for even just a second, the result can be fatal. And you still have to find an antidote for it if there are still traces in the patient's body. And it requires a large amount of chakra.

It took her about five minutes to extract the poison. She asked Ryoshi to dispell the genjutsu that was making the shinobi unconcious. She then proceeded to the third hostage.

Itachi arrived a few minutes later. The leader was named Kazuki, the one who cast the paralysis jutsu on the chuunins. Being the leader, he was the strongest among all the shinobi he encountered earlier. But he was no match for Itachi. It took him only a few minutes to completely eliminate him and other enemies lurking around. And when he got there he found Sakura in the middle of healing the poisoned captive, it seems she's nearly done.

"Anbu-san" greeted Ryoshi as he came up to the masked Anbu captain. Itachi nodded to him in response. Beside Ryoshi was another Konoha captive named Midaro. And the one Sakura is tending to is named Gino.

They waited for a few minutes for Sakura to finish healing the last captive. After that they went back to the entrance of the cave, where Genma and Shino are waiting.

**~~~*~~~**

"Ow" Sakura murmured to herself as they sprinted through the forest. She was so focused on healing the captives earlier that she forgot her own wound on the side. Not to mention that she's now low on chakra and her remaining chakra is reserved for the three-hour travel to Konoha.

Thankfully, none of her comrades seem to notice it. It's her first Anbu mission and she won't mess it up by slowing them down.

_Besides… I'll probably have enough chakra to heal my wound by the time we arrive in Konoha…  
_

She failed to notice Itachi's knowing glance towards her.

**~~~*~~~**

"You're wounded" Itachi stated as they got to Sakura's house. They already sent the three chuunins to the hospital to get proper treatment.

Sakura smiled softly at him as she unlocked the front door. Itachi knows her better than anyone else. So lying is not an alternative when it comes to him

"To tell you the truth, it's quite deep. I didn't have enough chakra to heal myself earlier"

Itachi grunted in response. He noticed it when they were travelling back to Konoha but didn't say anything about it. He knew that Sakura is a stubborn one, but not this stubborn.

"You were willing to sacrifice health because of pride" he said as he seated back at the couch on the living room as he watched Sakura tend to her wound.

Sakura just went on with healing her wound. Experience taught her that arguing with Itachi will only result with him winning. And besides, she's too tired to listen to Itachi's lectures right now.

But she was glad that Itachi didn't give her special treatment during their mission just because they're close. In fact, he became harder on her. It's the first time Sakura saw Itachi's professional side.

Itachi just sighed. She probably didn't want to slow the whole team down. She didn't want to be a burden to the whole team. She didn't want people to think of her as weak.

But she's not weak. She proved it long ago. And she's still getting stronger as time pass by. Without her, the mission might not be as successful as it was.

But what's done is done. He just has to make sure that she doesn't do that again.

Light snoring broke him out of his thoughts and he looked up to see Sakura asleep on the couch opposite from him. She looked really tired.

Deciding that the couch is not a comfortable place to have a good night's sleep, he gathered her up in his arms and took her to her room. Gently, he placed her on her fluffy bed and tucked her in.

He would have prefered if she changed into a more comfortable clothing. But she's dead tired now and him doing that to her seemed… inappropriate.

Deciding to just let it be, he turned and made his way towards the door and into his room.

**~~~*~~~**

"WHAT!?!" asked both Naruto and Sasuke in shock

Kakashi scratched the back of his head in annoyance. The boys were asking why Sakura wasn't here yet for their training and he said that she's probably resting from her Anbu mission last night with Uchiha Itachi's team.

He should've known their reactions before he said it

"I don't believe you, Kakashi-sensei" said Naruto as he turned around and walked away

"Dobe, where are you going?" asked Sasuke as he trailed after him

"I'm going to Sakura's place, duh" replied Naruto sarcastically as the both of them sped up to their teammate's house.

"This spells trouble" murmured Kakashi in his bored tone as he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

**~~~*~~~**

"SAKURA! SAKURA!" yelled the two boys as they banged Sakura's front door with their fists

Sakura suddenly sat up from her bed and looked out the window. Irritation grew on her face as she saw her two teammates banging on her front door.

In a split second, she opened the door and smacked the two with her fist.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?! BARGING IN LIKE THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING!?!" she asked angrily

"But Sakura-chan, it's almost lunchtime" reasoned Naruto as he nursed the bump on his head

Sakura blushed in embarassment. She slept in again and the whole team was affected by it.

"Anyway, what are you doing here all of a sudden?" she asked as she let them in

"Is it true, Sakura-chan!?! Is it true that you went with teme's brother in an Anbu mission?" asked Naruto as he gave her a look which seems to beg her to say no

"H-how did you find out?" asked Sakura in a confused manner.

"Kakashi-sensei told us. Now, answer the question" said Sasuke impatiently

"Fine, if you want an answer then yes, I did go with your brother last night in a mission" she replied and saw the shocked faces of her teammates.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'll be in my room to get changed. Wait here" she said as she walked towards her bedroom.

"What the hell!?! I know that your brother and Sakura-chan are bestfriends and all. But why would he drag Sakura-chan, of all people, in one of his Anbu missions?" asked an irritated Naruto

"Ask him, dobe, not me" replied an annoyed Sasuke

**~~~*~~~**

_A few days later…_

"What is it, Sakura?" asked Kakashi as he looked down at her. She seemed uneasy ever since this morning.

"Uhm… it's just…" she said nervously as she played with her fingers, a thing she got from hanging out with Hinata.

"Uhm… can I skip training for today? I'll be back tomorrow, I promise"

Kakashi looked down and studied her. She seemed so eager but why?

"Why?" interrupted Sasuke

"Yeah, why Sakura-chan? Teme will treat us lunch at Ichiraku later, don't you remember?" asked Naruto. This is a simple matter but her teammates are making it more complicated.

"I… I have to do something… important for today" she replied shyly

"Now, now kids… I'm sure Sakura has her reasons" interjected their sensei. When it comes to Sakura, the boys seem to always overreact.

Sakura's face automatically lit up.

"I know! You have your monthly period, right Sakura-chan? Don't worry! I'll help you with your laundry!" said Naruto as a huge grin appeared on his face

SMACK!!!

"I'm going" Sakura stated as she walked out, leaving a large bump on the blonde's head

"Yup… She definitely has her period" said Naruto as he rubbed his sore head.

Sasuke and Kakashi just sighed. When will Naruto ever learn never to piss Sakura like this?

**~~~*~~~**

Sakura walked happily along the streets of Konoha after picking up a bouquet of white lillies at Yamanaka Flower Shop. She's really glad that she has the whole day to herself. A nice day to just unwind and be free from all her responsibilities.

After a few minutes she arrived at her destination, the cemetery. It was a normal cemetery, where normal civilians were laid to rest. It didn't take her long to find the tombstone she's looking for. Slowly, she put the bouquet down and caressed the name engraved on the stone.

Shinn Shinkai

"Happy Birthday" she greeted as she sat down and stared at the tombstone

"It's been eight years, huh?" she asked as she looked up at the blue sky

Not long after she sensed a familiar prescence behind her. She didn't even look up to see who it was. He bent down, placed the bouquet of flowers he brought down and sat beside her.

"Thanks for coming, Itachi" Sakura said as she rested her head on his shoulder

"Hn"

* * *

Author's Notes: Hello! I hope you like this chapter. I apologize 'coz I suck in writing fighting scenes hehehe... They're really not my thing.

Anyway, how's your summer?It's been really hot lately and beach and resorts are simply hard to resist hehehe... And because of the heat I started being dizzy a lot and having headaches. Don't worry, I'm taking good care of myself and I hope you will too!

Thanks again for all the reviewers and to those who subscribed to author and story alert!

If you want to clarify something, feel free to ask me!

Please review!

(*^o^*) Peace out! (*^o^*)

**Kaycee**


	4. Chapter 4

**Unusually**

**Chapter 4: In a very unusual way, you're my dearest friend**

"Tomorrow is my mother's birthday. She wants you to come" said Itachi as they walked along the busy streets of Konoha.

"I remember Sasuke mentioning it to us, but I still don't have a present for her. How about you, Itachi?"

"Not yet"

"Well then, let's go look for one!" she said happily as she dragged Itachi towards the shopping district of Konoha.

**~~~*~~~**

"Mmm… I wonder what Mikoto-san would like…" Sakura muttered as she searched through the dresses that hang on a clothes rack. Uchiha Mikoto is a simple housewife and as far as Sakura can remember, she finds happiness in simple things. A new kimono? No, she probably has dozens of it. Make-up? No, she doesn't wear much make-up at all. A new tea set? No, she most likely doesn't need it.

"Gggrr… I don't know what to give her!" said Sakura in frustration as she sat beside Itachi on the bench.

Itachi was deep in thought. His mother practically has all the luxuries she wants. In fact, his mother is very simple. He remembered when he was a child, he made a simple card for her birthday. She was so happy that she put it in a frame and hung it in the wall. He removed it the day after.

His mother is trully an unusual one…

"All of this thinking makes me hungry. Let's eat something sweet" she said sweetly as she pulled on Itachi's hand and they went together out of the store.

**~~~*~~~**

Soft sounds of delight were heard as Sakura took another bite on her chocolate cake. Itachi found it amusing that such a thing would give her so much happiness.

"I haven't eaten a cake for many months, you know" she said after noticing the smirk he held on his face then took another bite

He really didn't understand how a bread covered in icing, chocolate and fruits would give a girl so much satisfaction and happiness and then curse herself for indulging in too much. He, for one, didn't really like sweets. He used to like them when he was younger but now that he's older, he thinks that it's too childish.

Another smirk played on his lips when he heard another sound of delight coming from the girl in front of him as he sipped on his black coffee. She's not aware of the sound she's making and it amuses him even more.

Then just like lightning, an idea crept up on his mind

"Why don't we bake a cake for Okaasan's birthday?"

**~~~*~~~**

"You're doing it wrong!!!" Sakura yelled as she took the wooden spoon from Itachi and lowered the fire in the stove.

"You just have to stir the chocolate gently until it thickens" she said in a boss-like manner then went back to the oven and checked the cake they're baking.

Itachi just sighed. Baking a cake is a lot harder than it seems, especially when you have two inexperienced people making it and Sakura seems to be in a bossy mode. The author of the recipe book they bought must be laughing hard at them.

"It's done!" she squealed as she opened the oven and was about to pull the cake out when Itachi slapped her hand away

"Hey! What was that for?" she asked as she pouted her lips in protest.

"Do you want to burn your hands?" he asked sarcastically as he pulled the cake out of the oven with the safety of pot holders.

Sakura's face heated in embrassment as she realized her error.

"Thanks for that! Anyway, how's the chocolate?" she asked as she went to see the chocolate on the pot

"What happened here!?!" she screamed as she saw bubbles popping from the heat. Then Itachi started stirring it but the bubbles just won't stop popping.

"It's not supposed to pop!" then she turned the stove off and shoved the recipe book into Itachi's face

"But it's not thick enough!" Itachi protested

"It is!"

"NO, IT'S NOT!"

"YES, IT IS!"

"NO, IT'S NOT!!!"

"YES, IT IS!!!"

Then they stared at each other and started laughing hard, tears glistening on their faces as they laughed so hard.

This is one of Itachi's traits that Sakura loved most. Normal people might think of him as emotionless but that's because that's what Itachi wants the people to think of him. It's only Sakura whom he shows his more human side to. The side that laughs, worries, cares, and many more.

The laughter continued for a few minutes and then died down

"We have to let it cool for a while…" said Sakura as she looked at the instructions on the recipe book.

"Until then, let's grab some dinner" she added as she closed the book and stared at the kitchen. It seems like a tornado just went in there. Flour was scattered everywhere, some broken eggs were left lying on the floor, dirty dishes overflowing the sink, pots not placed in their respective shelves, and shattered pieces of broken glass lay on the floor.

"This happened in just a span of three hours" stated Itachi, also taking notice of the mess they made in the kitchen.

"Well, there's no way we can prepare a decent meal with this mess" she said in a disappointed manner as she opened the top shelf and grabbed two packs of instant ramen.

"We're not eating those" stated Itachi

"Really? We're not?" she asked, confusion evident on her voice

"Come on, let's eat outside" said Itachi as he removed his apron

"Okay!" she beamed as she followed Itachi's action and went outside.

**~~~*~~~**

"SAKURA-CHAN!!!"

Sakura turned and was met by her ever cheerful blonde teammate as they passed by Ichiraku.

"NARUTO!!! STOP BEING SO LOUD ALL THE TIME!" yelled a familiar female voice. Sakura's attention perked up and she looked inside.

"Shishou? What are you doing here? And Jiraiya-sama too?" she questioned as she looked at them in a weird fashion

"Baa-chan lost a bet to me and now she's gonna treat me to ramen. Ero-sannin decided to join too"

"NARUTO!!! HOW MANY TIMES MUST I TELL YOU TO STOP CALLING ME THAT!?!" Tsunade yelled as she banged Naruto's head with her fist.

Sakura smiled inwardly. Serves Naruto right for calling her shishou such a nasty name.

"Anyway, what are you two doing here? Out for a date?" asked Jiraiya as he gave Sakura and Itachi a suspecting look

"What are you saying, Ero-sannin? Sakura won't fall for teme's brother! He's too-"

Suddenly Sakura's fist connected with Naruto's head, leaving another large bump.

"I suggest you keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you, Naruto" she said as she squeezed her knuckles. Naruto obviously knew what that meant from the look on his face.

"Two pork ramen please!" called Sakura as she and Itachi took their seat on the stool.

"Coming up!"

**~~~*~~~**

_Later that night…_

"Whew… Finished at last!" Sakura exclaimed in glee as she stared at the clean kitchen. The chocolate cake they were making the whole night is finally done and was placed safely in the refrigerator. And it took another hour for her and Itachi to clean the whole kitchen.

Itachi went to the living room and slumped down on the soft couch. He had never appreciated Sakura's couch this much before. Baking the cake was very stressful and fun at the same time. He finally closed his eyes and within a few seconds he fell asleep.

Sakura collapsed in the couch later, beside Itachi. She gave a heart-warming smile upon seeing Itachi's peaceful face while sleeping, free from any responsibilities and burdens. She snuggled closer to her bestfriend and soon drifted off to slumber.

**~~~*~~~**

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!"

Mikoto smiled widely then closed her eyes and made a wish. After that she blew the candles then the celebration started.

"Happy birthday!" greeted Sakura and Itachi as they handed her their gift

"Wow! Is this a cake?" asked Mikoto excitedly as she took the box

"Yes, Itachi and I made it ourselves" Sakura said proudly

Mikoto asked a relative to put the cake on the fridge then went and give Sakura a motherly hug.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan" she said as she kept the young female in her arms

Sakura blushed at the sudden closeness as she relaxed in Mikoto's arms "You're very welcome, Mikoto-chan"

Itachi stared at them from the corner. His mom and Sakura really get along with each other. It's probably because his mom really wanted to have a daughter but was not blessed to have one, thus treating Sakura, the closest female outside the clan, as such.

"You too, Itachi" said Mikoto as she approached him

Itachi didn't have any time to escape when his mother put her arms around him in a motherly embrace. He really wanted to protest, there's no doubt that many people will laugh at the scene he's in. But since it's his mother's birthday, he might as well do as she wished.

Sakura just smiled from the side. She knew for sure that Itachi was reluctant to give in to his mother's request but wasn't that surprised when he gave in.

"Have fun, okay?" said Mikoto as let go of him then waved farewell to greet more guests.

_Later…_

Most of the guests have gone home by now. Naruto, Sakura, some members of the rookie 9 and some close relatives were among the ones who stayed.

"By the way Mikoto-chan…" said Naruto in his cheerful voice, getting the attention of everybody in the living room.

"What's your birthday wish?"

Mikoto smiled widely. She was actually glad that someone decided to ask her that question. She has been thinking a lot about this for the past few months.

"Honestly speaking, I really want another child"

Some gasped, some eyes widen, some mouths were agape and Uchiha Fugaku blushed in total embarassment.

"But since Fugaku and I are too old to have another child, I guess I'll just have to wait for Itachi and Sasuke to be married and give me grandchildren"

All were silent for a while until a loud blonde burst out in laughter

"HAHAHA!!! SASUKE AND ITACHI GETTING MARRIED!?!" Naruto laughed loudly, clutching his stomach from laughing so hard

Everyone in the living room gave him odd stares, like he's some kind of psycho. But Naruto _is_Naruto afterall. Even if he's one of the strongest shinobi in Konoha, the funny side of him, or rather the stupid side of him will always be there.

Sakura gripped her knuckles as Naruto kept on laughing like there's no tomorrow. It was only a matter of time before she loses her patience with her favorite blonde teammate.

_Three…_

_Two…_

_One…_

SMACK!!!

"Mikoto-chan! Naruto and I will take our leave now. Thanks for having us!" Sakura said as she smiled at the older woman. Her boisterous blonde teammate was behind her, with a huge lump on his head.

"You're very welcome. Take care and good night" Mikoto waved farewell as she exited through the main door, dragging her blonde teammate in the process. Sasuke followed them not long after.

"Do something like that again and you'll receive more than that" Sakura scolded as she placed her palms on top of Naruto's head, green chakra emitting from her open palms.

Naruto just nodded in response as he closed his eyes. The three of them are on his apartment now.

"Sakura, that dobe deserves what you did. You shouldn't have healed him" said Sasuke, obviously still embarassed by what his mother said earlier.

"Shut up, teme! I was merely stating the obvious" said Naruto as he sat up and glared at the raven boy.

"BOTH OF YOU, SHUT UP!!!" yelled Sakura as she got up from the couch and gave each of her teammates a look that said the conversation is over, or else…

Silence filled the room as the two boys kept on glaring back at each other. Sakura just sighed in frustration and looked at the clock, it was almost midnight.

"I'm going. See you both tomorrow at training" she said as she got up to leave. She was walking down the stairs when she heard Sasuke behind her.

"I'll take you home"

"Okay" she waited for him to catch up to her and on instinct he bended his arm and she twirled hers around his arm, just like what a gentleman would do when escorting a lady.

Little did they know that a very familiar raven-haired Anbu captain was watching their every move, feeling something he never felt before for his brother.

**~~~*~~~**

_A few days later…_

Sakura arrived at team 7's meeting place. It was still dark and most of the people are probably still sleeping in their houses.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun" she greeted cheerfully as she saw Sasuke leaning on the bridge.

"Good morning, Sakura" he greeted back then closed his eyes.

Sakura just smiled softly and stared at her reflection at the water and began humming a song. Naruto arrived a few minutes later in his usual cheerful self. And as usual, their sensei was late. Old habits die hard, ne?

The mission that was assigned to them is to go to Earth Country in time for the inauguration of the new leader of a small village within the mountains. There were reports saying that their rival village hired some rogue ninjas to attack that special event and bring chaos to the whole village.

"LET'S GO KICK SOME ROGUE NINJA ASS!!!" yelled Naruto as they walked out of Konoha and into the forest.

**~~~*~~~  
**

They travelled for a whole day before they got to Earth Country. As expected there were many mountains and crop fields surrounding the area.

They arrived at the small village not long after, but somehow it looks different than the other villages within the Earth Country. Most of the people depend on farming to make a living, commercial business are rarely found, little children are forced to make a living at such a young age and crime rates are high. To put it simply, the village is poverty-stricken.

They were greeted by the soon-to-be leader of the village, Katsuo, and some villagers. Since Katsuo has the largest house among all the villagers, they were obliged to stay there for the night.

"So, what happened here?" asked Kakashi while they were having dinner at Katsuo's house

Katsuo just sighed before responding

"It all started two years ago. Our rival village did an ambush attack on us. We're not a shinobi village like Konoha so we didn't stand a chance against them. A lot of villagers were killed, houses were burned and destroyed but most of all it left the village with poverty"

"By any chance, do you know who is the leader of your rival village?" asked their sensei

"I heard rumors that his name is Orochimaru"

"Well, if the rumors are right, then we'll be facing quite an opponent tomorrow"said Kakashi jokingly although there was a tiny hint of seriousness in his voice.

**~~~*~~~**

"How are things going on your post?" asked their sensei through their radio phone

"Nope, none at all" replied Naruto who was scouting west

"Still nothing" said Sasuke whose post was on the south

"Same here, sensei" stated Sakura who was told to scout east

The village is busy with preparations for the inauguration which will happen later in the afternoon. Surely, the enemies are on their way.

Sakura closed her eyes and concentrated on detecting chakra signatures. After hearing from Katsuo what happened to the village a few years back, she was really saddened. So she told herself that she won't let that happen again.

Suddenly she sensed chakra signatures, it was faint but can still be detected, especially by someone like her who has sharp senses.

"I sense enemies making their way towards here. They're about 30 or so" she told her team through the radio phone

"I feel them too" said Naruto with a serious tone

"Hn"

"Well, they're all yours" told Kakashi before they sprinted to action.

Sakura squeezed her knuckles in anticipation as she waited for the enemies to get there. Luckily, she didn't have to wait long.

She summoned five bunshins to take on some of the enemies while she worked on her portion. She landed a chakra-laden punch on the ground, causing the nins to jump in the air to avoid her attack. She turned in the air, throwing poisoned kunais and shurikens, taking advantage of the dust and debris from her earlier move. Most of them avoided her lethal weapons while few got hit.

She pulled out a tree from the ground just when her opponents were getting down on their feet literally and swung it to them. Most of them didn't have enough time to dodge her attack and was sent flying to the forest. She then engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the remaining opponents. It didn't take long for her to defeat her portion of the enemy.

She then turned to see how much damage her bunshins caused. They did a few damage but many are still standing. Once again, she punched the ground and landed a hard kick on one when he was in the air. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her leg and she was thrown towards a tree. She easily dodged the tree and sprinted towards her opponents, a kunai with an explosive tag at hand. She threw it at the center. Most of them didn't quickly register her attack and had fallen casualty to it.

"So… only ten are left…" she murmured mostly to herself as she smirked, her fists glowing with blue chakra. She threw a couple of punches but all of them dodged. She wasn't really aiming to hit them directly, but to distract the flow of their chakra.

It didn't take her long to completely take down the enemies who went to her post. She smiled in satisfaction, the village will finaly be safe.

**~~~*~~~**

"Thank you again, Konoha shinobis" bowed Katsuo in gratitude, the rest of the villagers followed his action

"You're welcome. Feel free to contact Konoha if you need protection again" responded Kakashi, his visible eye smiling.

"Well then, we should be going now! Take care!" waved Naruto as they turned around to leave.

Suddenly a young boy ran past them and stopped in front of Katsuo, panting heavily

"Katsuo-sama!!! Ryuji is being beat up again!!!" he said through breaths

Gratitude suddenly changed into fright as Katsuo let the young boy take him to where Ryuji is.

"What's happening?" asked Naruto as they followed the two into a forest

"I don't exactly know. But we must get there fast before something bad happens" replied Katsuo as they ran through the forest.

Not long after they arrived at a small wooden house in the middle of the forest. However, the site that greeted them was an unpleasant one. The young boy Ryuji lay beaten on the floor, numerous bruises and wounds adorned his young body.

"Stop it, Sentarou!!! These are your own children!!!" intervened Katsuo but was suddenly thrown to the wall, luckily Naruto got in time to stop him from colliding with the wall

The young boy then stood up and shielded his two younger siblings

"YOU UNGRATEFUL BOY!!!" yelled Sentarou as he slowly approached them

"No…" she cried out, mostly to herself, as bitter memories started to flood her mind and tears unconciously surfaced from her eyes

"SERVES YOU RIGHT FOR GOING AGAINST ME!!!"

"No…"

"BUT YOU DESERVE MORE THAN THAT!!!"

"No…"

"YOU'RE BETTER OFF DEAD!!!"

"NO!!!"

All of a sudden Sakura snapped out and in a blink of an eye she had the man pinned to the wall, lifting him in thin air through his neck. Her nails dug in deep on the flesh of his neck, causing blood to flow out, as her eyes shown pure anger.

"WHO ARE YOU!?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!" he choked out the words

"SHUT UP!!!" she then threw a chakra-infused punch on his face

The boys of team 7 just watched, wide-eyed. They've never seen their female teammate like this. In fact, this doesn't seem like her at all. It's like she's being possessed.

What has happened to the calm and collected Sakura they knew so well?

Hatake Kakashi decided to stop her before she causes any unnecessary death.

In a blink of an eye he was behind Sakura. He turned her around with all his force and was shocked to see pure anger in her eyes. Swiftly, he uncovered his sharingan and sent her to the world of unconciosuness.

**~~~*~~~**

"So, that's what happened" said Tsunade as she put her hand under her chin, thinking deeply. Kakashi had just finished telling them what happened with Sakura at the end of their mission.

They're inside a hospital room now, with an unconcious Sakura lying on the bed. She didn't sustain any injury, but Kakashi's sharingan made her unconcious for almost a day. She'll wake up soon, Tsunade assured.

Tsunade, Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke and Itachi are the ones inside the room. It may seem strange, but they were not surprised when Sasuke entered the room earlier with his brother. He had told his brother about what happened to Sakura when they got home last night.

"But still, I don't know what had caused her to act that way. She's never been like that before" said Kakashi as he leaned on the wall near the window

"I felt a strange aura around her all of a sudden, like she doesn't mind killing the guy" added Naruto

Just then Tsunade eyed the man who was not present when the incident took place but is now staying in the room with her and her student's teammates. She heard rumors that the Uchiha heir and her apprentice had been friends since they were young. He must know something.

Itachi tensed as he felt the Godaime's eyes on him. She must have thought that he knows something about Sakura's sudden actions. As a matter of fact, he might know what had caused her to be like that. But he promised her not tell anyone about it, although that was years and years ago.

"Uchiha, you know something, don't you?" asked Tsunade as she raised an eyebrow at him, her hands crossed below her chest.

"Spill it" she added, more like commanded

He hesitated for a moment. He is a person who keeps his promises afterall. But maybe, he'll make an exception, just this once. He knew how deeply they care for her and he felt that they must know.

He looked up to see all eyes fixated on him. If they want to know the reason behind Sakura's actions, then he'll tell them.

"But you must promise not to tell anyone about it" he said seriously as he looked at they eyes of everyone inside the room. They all nodded in response.

"It all happened eight years ago…"

* * *

Author's Notes: Hello! I apologize for not updating sooner. There were a lot of things that kept me busy aside from this story. First is that my friend and I are organizing a cosplay photoshoot this May and we still have a lot of things to do. And I can't really use the computer since my brothers are always using it hehehe...

Anyways, I hope you like this chapter! It took me quite a while to write it. And I'm happy to say that I enjoyed writing the cake baking part hehehe... Although I haven't experienced baking a cake before.

Thanks again for all the love and support!

And please review! It's the only way for me to know how much I am improving as a writer.

And if you have questions, don't hesitate to ask!

So much for a cliff hanger, eh? Well, I'm working on the next chapter now and hopefully I'll upload it soon

(*^o^*) Peace out! (*^o^*)

**Kaycee**


	5. Chapter 5

**Unusually**

**Chapter 5: In a very unusual way, I owe what I am to you**

"It all happened eight years ago…"

Itachi stared at them for a moment, their attention fixed on him and only him.

"It was during one of my Anbu missions. The mission was to eliminate a man named Samuro Shinkai. He's been participating in underground activities and supplying illegal drugs to some powerful men along Fire Country. And he's also Sakura's biological father"

Their eyes widen in shock and they all nodded when realization dawned upon them. All of them knew that Mr. and Mrs. Haruno are not Sakura's real parents. But whenever they ask her about her real parents, she quickly changes the subject.

Itachi took notice of their reactions before continuing the story.

"But his little business soon died down for an unknown reason and they were left with no money at all. Samuro gambled all the money he had earned and there was nothing left for him and his children"

"His children? You mean Sakura has siblings?" asked Naruto. As expected, he just couldn't keep his mouth and shut and keep the story going.

"Naruto! Let him continue!" scolded the lady Hokage. Itachi just ignored Naruto's question and proceeded with the story

"He was so broke that he brought out all of his frustrations on his children and blamed them for the misfortunes. He regularly beat them up and luckily for Sakura, she has her older brother to protect her. His name is Shinn Shinkai"

Their eyes widen once more as an image of a young and innocent Sakura being attacked by her father for no apparent reason popped on their mind.

So that's why she acted the way she did. She must have seen herself in that situation.

"The house was a mess when we got there. It was located in the middle of the forest. Shinn and Sakura were barely alive from all the beating they sustained from their father. We quickly eliminated him and took the children with us but…"

He trailed off as he stared at the occupants of the room. All of them had the same expression written on their faces, the same sad expression.

"But as we were heading back to the village, Shinn, Sakura's brother, gave up on us. He was only twelve at that time"

If Kakashi, Tsunade, Naruto and Sasuke were merely civilians, they would surely be in tears as they heard how the story progressed. But they were all shinobis who were skilled in keeping their emotions.

"Sakura had a very hard time digesting all that happened. She was only ten at that time. And then the Harunos came and adopted her because they couldn't have children of their own. The third Hokage ordered us not to tell anyone about Sakura's father, just like Naruto's case, because the villagers will probably hate her when they knew that Sakura's biological father is a drug lord"

Silence filled the room as they all tried to take in what happened to their favorite pink-haired kunoichi. No one could have guessed that she had a miserable childhood. She was always full of life.

Naruto pulled out a chair and placed it beside her bed. He stared at her and held her hand in his. He had always thought that Sakura was the most fortunate among the three of them. Because she has the most normal life compared to him and Sasuke. He grew up with no parents to take care of him and was always left isolated because of the Kyuubi sealed inside his body. While Sasuke is trapped within his clan and its stupid laws and expectations.

But it all happened in the past and the only thing they can do now is to comfort her and cheer her up.

Tsunade and Kakashi then left the room to discuss their latest mission. Sasuke sat at the window frame and Itachi excused himself, not stating where he'll go.

Sakura woke up an hour later with a strong headache. Sturdily, she sat up and massaged her temples. She knew that her team was there with her from their chakra signatures. She blinked a couple of times and took a look at her surroundings through blurred vision.

"Please tell me I'm not at the hospital"

"Sorry, Sakura-chan, but it seems Kakashi-sensei's sharingan had quite an effect on you. You were unconcious for a whole day" spoke Naruto a little less cheerful than his usual self. Sakura stared at him and knew that there's something bothering him.

All of a sudden, her sudden outburst on their last mission flashed on her mind. She wasn't able to control herself after seeing the site at the house. The last thing she remembered was her emotions taking control of her whole body and then falling.

"Sakura" Sasuke stern voice broke her out of her mussings as she stared up at him

"We knew what happened eight years ago. Niisan told us"

Sakura stared at them in surprise then her eyes soften in understanding. There were a lot of times when she felt like telling her past to her team, but she always get cold feet afterwards. Itachi is the only one alive who knows about her past. She made him promise not to tell anyone about it, unless it was trully necessary.

"I didn't mean to keep it from you, you've become my family these past few years. I guess I'm just afraid to talk about my past to anybody, I'm sorry"

"You don't have to apologize, Sakura-chan. We understand" said Naruto as he grinned at her. She grinned back at him with a little less effort.

Awkward silence filled the room afterwards. It seems that the boys wanted to know more about what happened in her childhood but are too afraid to ask. Kakashi leaned on the wall with his Icha Icha Paradise on his hand, but he isn't flipping the pages. Sakura guessed that he must be thinking to himself, he does that often when something is bothering him. While Sasuke sat by the window frame and was just staring outside. She could sense that something is bothering him also from his facial expression. Naruto, on the other hand, explored the whole room for something interesting. Sadly, hospital rooms are very simple and have little decoration.

No one dared to say a word, it was like they were waiting for someone to break the silence for them to speak. Sakura decided to be the one to break it, since it's her fault that they were here keeping her company afterall.

"My mother, Sayuri Shinkai, was the one behind the illegal drugs"she started then automatically their heads turned towards her direction.

"It was a simple experiment, but when my father discovered its effects, he blackmailed her to produce more of it. I don't know the full details but that's what my brother told me"

"But she died after giving birth to me and because of that the business soon went down. My father blamed me for all of it. He said nasty stuff to me and tried to take my life a couple of times. I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for my older brother"

Then bitter memories of her childhood started to resurface. Her father's yells, curses and endless beating and her brother's pleas. It all came back to her.

After becoming a chuunin, she promised herself that she won't cry in front of anybody. Crying is a sign of weakness and she doesn't want to be weak anymore. That part of her life was over now and she has changed.

But the emotions she had tried so hard to keep in chose this moment to surface.

Just then she felt a sudden pull and her face met her sensei's jounin vest. She looked up at him, waiting for him to tell the reason why he did what he did.

"There's no need to hold it back anymore" came his simple reply

All of a sudden, tears streamed down from her eyes and into her sensei's vest. She hated crying but it seems that crying is the only thing she can do in her situation.

She felt her sensei's hand stroking her hair lightly.

Just this once, she'll let all the pent-up emotion come out.

_The next day…_

Sakura fluttered her eyes open as she sat up from her bed. She would be training today with her team. After what happened to their last mission, Tsunade thought that it's best for the team to take at least a week off from missions, especially with Sakura emotionally disturbed and all.

After making the bed, she went to the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes are still a little bit sore from all the crying yesterday. Luckily, her team just let her let loose her emotions. She cried her heart out for about half an hour and it took a few more minutes for her to completely calm down. She felt good afterwards and checked out of the hospital. She was glad that it was her team whom she cried on to, because they just let her be without saying anything about showing emotions.

She felt that she can just be herself around her team… and around Itachi.

Speaking of Itachi, where is he? She hasn't seen him at all ever since they went to their last mission. Sasuke mentioned that he was with them watching over her at the hospital before she woke up. Well, he might be in a mission or doing something important.

Shaking these thoughts away, she took a bath, got breakfast and proceeded to the training grounds where she'll meet her team.

She was surprised when she got to the training grounds. Usually, she arrives before Naruto and Kakashi was the last to arrive. But today, all of them are here early.

"Sakura-chan!" greeted Naruto as he waved at her. She gave her team a smile then straightened herself up.

"So, what are we going to do today, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Itadakimasu!" said Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke in unison before eating their lunch. Their training ended earlier than usual. Usually, they train until the sun comes down. Kakashi just paired them up for a spar.

And as usual, Naruto dragged his two teammates to Ichiraku Ramen for lunch. And as for Kakashi, well he's better off with his book.

"Sakura, do you have plans for the rest of the day?" asked Sasuke as he let his ramen cool for a moment

"Uhm… no. Why do you ask?" she remembered that Tsunade gave her a week off from the hospital as well

"Great! Then will you come with us? We'd like to take you somewhere" came Naruto's cheerful answer

She gave Naruto a glare, hoping that it won't spell trouble again. But Sasuke will be there with them so it must be okay "Okay then just as long as it's not in the hotsprings"

"Higher! Higher!" yelled Sakura as she looked up at her kite flying in the sky

After having lunch, Naruto and Sasuke took her to the grass field and flew kites with her. At first she thought it was too childish. But they persuaded her to try it and now she's liking it.

"Hey!" she yelled at her kite as she tried to catch up with it. Luckily, the weather wanted them to be happy that day and no one was there except for the three of them so they have the place to themselves.

"Wait for me, Sakura-chan!" yelled Naruto as he ran after his kite and Sakura's.

"Stop being too loud, dobe!" grumbled Sasuke as he too chased his kite

"And stop being so sensitive, teme!"

"Hn"

"Don't you 'hn' me!"

Sakura just smiled at them. Those two always argue about everything, sometimes they even get to their "friendly argument" and make up afterwards.

Then she stared up at the sky where their kites are, swaying with the wind together. They've acomplished many things together. The three of them are like the kites flying above. First, they were down but slowly they let the wind take them up, of course it was not easy to get where they are now. But because of their love for one another, they managed to rise high. They haven't reached their ultimate goal yet but with perseverance and team work, there's no doubt that they'll achieve it.

"Neh, Sakura-chan" Naruto started in a solemn tone. It seems that his argument with Sasuke is over now.

Sakura just stared at him and Sasuke then gestured for him to continue

"We've been together for almost seven years. In good times and bad times, we've always stayed by each other's side. Team 7 has been my family in all those years. You are the caring sister, the peacekeeper between me and Sasuke. Sasuke, although we argue a lot, is the brother who silently cares for all of us. And Kakashi-sensei is our big brother, always looking over us and always there to support us"

Naruto paused as Sakura stared at his sincere eyes. Although Naruto seems to be a jerk at times, he says all the right words to make her feel better.

"So, whenever you feel sad or lonely, you can always come to us. We'll always be there by your side. We're a family afterall" said Sasuke with a rare smile on his face. So, this is the reason for this activity.

Suddenly, Sakura embraced them in a tight hug. There's nothing to be sad now that she has a new family.

"Thank you" tears of joy gleamed in her eyes as she rested her head in their shoulders. No matter what happens, they will always be family.

_Later…_

Sakura entered the bookstore in search for the new medical books she ordered. She's been really fond of reading books since she was a child, especially those books which will help her become a better ninja.

She approached the woman in charge of the bookstore and her face frowned when the she told her that the medical books she ordered were still not there.

It was nearing sunset and she still has a lot of time to spare so she went to look around the bookstore. She let her feet take her to the fiction section. She kept on looking at the books, not really paying attention because most of them didn't catch her interest.

Then her eyes drifted to a book titled "Endlessly". The cover was really simple but somehow, she was intrigued by it. She picked it up and examined it.

"He was endlessly falling in love with her over and over again."

She read aloud the phrase that caught her attention without awareness.

"Really?"

She turned around and was relived to see none other than her sensei.

"Kakashi-sensei, what are you doing here?"

Wordlessly, he showed her the orange book that he came to love. By that simple gesture, she already knew the answer to her earlier question. She often sees her masked sensei here in the bookstore, hoping that Jiraiya-sama already published a new sequel to his beloved book.

Sakura gave a little laugh at her sensei. Although he's a formidable shinobi on the battlefield, he has one weakness. And that is his book. Whatever the strange book contains, she could only wonder.

"Don't smile like that when I'm feeling melancholic, Sakura" he muttered in a forced hurtful tone

"I'm sorry, sensei. But you never fail to amuse me especially when it concerns your beloved book"

Kakashi, not really pleased with his favorite female student, turned his eyes on the book she's holding and snatched it up. She protested and tried to retrieve it but he used his height to his advantage and held the book where she couldn't reach it.

She sighed in defeat and let him explore the book.

"I never knew you were the romantic type"

She grunted in response and chose to ignore his comment. Years of experience taught her that arguing over some trivial things with her sensei won't get anywhere.

Then he turned on his heel and walked towards the cashier, the book still in his hands.

"Sensei, wait! Where are you going?" she asked in a low tone as she followed after him.

The man in question just smirked mischievously at his student as he faced the cashier and paid for the book. The book was not really famous so it wasn't that expensive.

"Here" he said as he handed her the book

Sakura just stared at him in a confused manner. She always knew that her sensei was weird but she didn't expect this from him. But still, it's not everyday that you get to see Hatake Kakashi buying something for his student.

"Thanks, sensei. I guess I owe you one" Sakura said as they both left the bookstore. The sun is setting now and many people are on their way home.

"Yeah, I guess you do. Maybe you can buy the next book of Jiraiya-sama for me when it comes out"

Sakura just gave him a meek smile "Hm… Maybe…"

They walked silently through the streets of Konoha. Sakura kept on smiling the whole time. Naruto and Sasuke's words kept ringing in her head. She still wonders how team 7 managed to work together so well despite having different personalities and interests. But the fact remains that they are now a family and nothing will break that bond between them.

"Well, I'm glad you cheered up" stated Kakashi after the minutes of silence

"Huh?" she asked as she turned around to face her sensei but instead saw a puff of smoke in his place.

Sakura just smiled in realization. Actions really do speak louder than words when it comes to her sensei.

Sakura sighed in boredom as she opened her refrigerator and saw nothing to cook for dinner. With another sigh, she went to the living room and flopped down on the couch. She noticed the book her sensei bought for her earlier and took it from the coffee table.

"Endlessly, huh?" she already read a few pages and it's getting quite interesting. It's about a girl named Luna and she's living in a time of war.

Her stomach gave a loud growl so she got up, grabbed her purse and left to eat dinner outside.

Sakura walked along the streets of Konoha in the hopes of finding someone she can eat dinner with. She felt lonesome earlier when she returned home after the trip to the bookstore. Somehow, she expected a certain raven-haired man to be there to greet her. She hasn't seen him at all since she went with her team on a mission. She's so lonesome that she'll even agree to treat a friend to dinner just so that she'll have company. Hell, she'll even agree to eat with Sai even though he calls her indecent names at times.

"Forehead!" called out a familiar female voice from the curry house. She went inside and saw team Asuma and team Kurenai, except for Kurenai herself.

"Did I miss something?" asked Sakura as she saw their happy faces

"Kurenai-sensei just gave birth to a healthy baby boy this morning" came Hinata's joyful reply

Sakura's face quickly lit up in joy then she clasped Asuma's hands "Congratulations, Asuma-sensei! It's your first baby, right? I'm so happy for you and Kurenai-sensei!"

Asuma's face brightened as he smiled widely at the kunoichi in front of him "Thank you very much, Sakura. We're having a celebration, feel free to join us"

"Of course!" she said happily as she took a seat beside Ino. Then they started chit chatting, trying to keep up with each other's lives since they don't normally spend time with each other because of missions and duties.

"Asuma, my friend, congratulations with your first baby!"

All of them turned to see the owner of the voice

Black bob cut hair

Green spandex suit

Flashy smile

A thumb's up

"Gai-sensei!" all of them said in chorus. Behind him were Lee, Tenten, Neji, Naruto, Sasuke, Sai and Kakashi.

"Yo!" greeted Kakashi as he grinned widely at Asuma

"So you're here, Sakura-chan! We went to get you earlier but you weren't at your house" said Naruto as he was about to seat beside Sakura but a sudden flash of green stopped him.

"Sakura-san, sweet cherryblossom of my youthful life, how have you been?" asked Lee with his round eyes

"Everything is going well for me, Lee-san. How about you?" she replied as she gave a nervous laugh

"Good to hear that the flame of youth is still burning within your heart. And as for me, I've been doing fine as well. I've learned a few techniques too, want to see them?" he winked at her and gave her a flashy smile

"Hey fuzzy eyebrows! That's supposed to be my seat!" Oh great, Naruto and his overprotectiveness.

"Hey Naruto, I do believe that there's a special seat reserved just for you" said Sakura as she looked over at Hinata who was blushing madly. She gave Naruto a wink and Naruto immediately went to seat beside Hinata. The others took their seats as well.

Then the celebration went on from there. The three oldest males drinking sake, Choji not caring for the world because he's eating, Shikamaru's sigh of annoyance, Sai's name calling, Ino sharing the latest gossip to Sakura, Naruto and Hinata having a little chat, Neji and Sasuke's glaring contest, Lee's failed attempts to get Sakura's attention, Asuma's cigarette smoke, Kiba's complaints about them being too loud, Shino's unmoving body, Lee and Gai dancing like crazy, Neji and Tenten's sigh of embarassment and all of them laughing.

Sakura smiled widely. She thought that her world will come crashing down on her when she heard that her foster parents died in a mission a few years back. She thought that she'll never be able to get back up again. But with her new found family, she was able to do that and many more. Although they don't normally see each other, they always support one another. She couldn't ask for more.

But somehow there's something missing.

Sakura opened the door to her house and went inside. The celebration went great although Naruto drank too much. Luckily, Sasuke and Lee offered to take him home and the rest went home as well. And Sai was a little strange earlier. He acted like a gentleman and offered to escort Sakura home. Of course she refused, he might be plotting something like pissing her off. But he wouldn't take no for an answer and he was starting to get on her nerves so she agreed. They talked while walking, of course Sakura was the one who started the conversation. They kept on talking until they got to her house. He bid her goodbye then disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sakura just smiled, Sai can be a different person if he just willed it.

She sighed in content as she felt a prescence, the same prescence that she has been wanting to feel since this morning.

"What took you so long?" he asked as he stood up from the couch

"Were you waiting?" he just gave her a blank stare and she already knew the answer

"Sorry, Itachi. Kurenai-sensei just gave birth and Asuma-sensei held a celebration"

"Hn"

"Anyway, where were you? You haven't shown yourself since I went on that mission"

"Mission"

"Oh… is that so?" somehow she knew that he wasn't telling the truth, he probably gave her time to think for herself and spend some quality time with her friends.

Suddenly she felt contented. Of course she had a great time with her team and friends but something was still amiss.

And only Itachi can fill up that hole

Just then Itachi felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind. He relaxed and held her hands gently.

"Thank you" she muttered from behind

"If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here. If you didn't save me eight years ago, I shouldn't be here living a good life here in Konoha. I owe everything to you, Itachi"

No, she was the one whom he owed everything to. She kept him sane in this whole ordeal of being a shinobi, she was the one who always welcomed him with open arms, she was the one who never judged him because of his last name and most of all

She gave him a reason to live

They stayed like that for a few more minutes until Sakura excused herself for the night and went to her room.

"_I owe everything to you, Itach" _her words kept repeating on his head like a broken disc

"No Sakura, I owe what I am to you"

* * *

Author's Notes: Hi there!!! Sorry for the late update. I've been busy this past week... stupid health problems…

Anyway, the book mentioned earlier, Endlessly, is not really a book. It's the first story that I've written and published here in . If you have time, please read it and leave a review.

Thanks to those who reviewed, to those who subscribed to alerts and especially to those who included Unusually in their favorites. I didn't really expect all of this and I'm just so overwhelmed.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions

Thanks for all the love and support! *hugs*

Please leave a review, it's the only way for me to know if I'm doing well as a writer

See you on the next chapter!!! I'm really looking forward to writing it and I promise you that it will be good!!!

(*^o^*) Peace out! (*^o^*)

**Kaycee**


	6. Chapter 6

**Unusually**

**Chapter 6: In a very unusual way, I think I'm in love with you**

Sakura adjusted her mask as she stared at her reflection on the mirror. She's with Itachi and his Anbu team now for a mission. They are to steal a very important scroll from a wealthy businessman named Hiroki Igaba who is holding a masquerade party tonight to celebrate his 60th birthday. She and Itachi will go undercover inside the mansion while Shino and Genma will sneak at the back and find the location of the scroll. Pretty simple if one would put it that way. But it meant serious business when they heard from Jiraiya that the Akatsuki has their eyes on the same scroll.

A sudden knock was heard from the door and she looked at herself in the mirror for the last time. She wore a white tube gown that reached up to her ankles. It was decorated with sparkling beads and frilly laces. It hugged all the beautiful curves of her body. Her foster mother bought it for her before she died and it's actually her first time to wear it. And as for her mask, it was a mixture of white and pink and was sparkling with glitters. Her makeup is light, thanks to Tsunade and Ino for teaching her how to apply it. She let her hair down, barely touching her shoulders to hide the ear piece on her left ear.

She smiled at herself then went to open the door to see her escort for the night

She stopped in her tracks as she saw him. It's actually her first time to see him dressed like this. He looks so hot, as Inner Sakura would say. There stood Itachi wearing a black coat and matching pants. His inner polo is red and his mask is a mixture of red and black. The whole suit embraced all his toned muscles in a splendid manner. His silky hair is tied in its usual style with sleek bangs framing his face. He looked like a prince who just came out from a fairy tale.

She mentally slapped herself for almost drooling in front of him.

His eyes widened the moment Sakura opened the door and revealed herself. Her long and beautiful white tube gown definitely showed all the beautiful curves of her body. If only she had wings, one could've guessed that she was a fairy.

"You ready to go?" she asked as she closed the door behind her. Itachi just gave her a curt nod before offering his arm to her. She smiled lightly as she slipped her arm on his and they began to walk towards the ballroom hall.

"We're here at the back entrance, Captain" said Genma through the radio phone.

"Go in when I give you the signal" said Itachi as he examined the place. The party is about to start and it seems that all the guests have arrived. All of them were clad in expensive formal attires and their faces were hidden behind their masks. It's possible that the Akatsuki also has spies inside this hall so they must be extra careful.

All eyes lingered on them as they descended down the stairs, arm in arm. Itachi saw the look that the men were giving his partner, and he didn't like it one bit. He gave a hard glare at them and that made them turn their attention somewhere else.

Sakura felt the glares of the women directed at her. Seriously, what's their problem? It's not like she and Itachi are a real couple. Geez…

However, Itachi took notice that she failed to notice the look of desire coming from the men. He disliked the fact that she can be so naïve sometimes. Well, maybe that's what you get for spending most of your life with boys all around you.

"May I have your attention please" said an elderly man, probably the host of the party, as he stood by the long stairs where everyone can see him. He delivered his speech for a few minutes and then the party started. The band started playing and all of the guests turned to face their partners for the dance.

"Uhm… Itachi, do you know how to dance?" she asked nervously as she stared at the people around them. She placed her right hand on his shoulders and gripped his left hand with hers, just like what the women around them were doing. Itachi returned her gesture and placed his right hand on her waist.

"I'll lead and you follow" ordered Itachi as he started to sway into the music. As to how Itachi learned to dance, she could only wonder.

Sudddenly she stepped on his foot and apologized. He didn't say anything and instead went on with the dance. They might blow their cover if they were to be seen dancing inappropriately. Thanks to his sharingan, he learned the dance steps quickly.

Sakura blushed deeply and was thankful for the mask that was hiding her face. She and Itachi were so close to each other that they can almost feel each other's breaths if not for the mask. She had never been this close to him in the eight years that they've known each other.

She stared at the coal black eyes of her partner and felt herself drown in those deep obsidian pools. Somehow his eyes seem to shine more when they're together, just like how it shines right now.

She shrugged the thoughts aside quickly. Itachi is her bestfriend and her Captain. She should'nt have these strange feelings for him.

But somehow it made her happy

Most of the people in Konoha always see him as the ever impassive Uchiha genius who always seems to be perfect. But what they didn't know is that Uchiha Itachi is just as human as they are, he just lacks social skills. That's because his father didn't let him socialize with other kids when he was younger. His father was always focused on his older son's training, replacing toys with weapons at such a young age. No one really understood how he felt, especially his father. He kept on pushing his son to move up to the higher ranks to please the whole clan. The only ones who trully understood how he felt were his younger brother Sasuke, his older cousin Shisui and Sakura.

The music started to fade and they just stood there, taking pleasure in staring at each other's eyes, unaware that the people already stopped dancing and left the dancefloor.

Sakura's eyes showed pure innocence, Itachi always thought. Even though she endured many hardships during her childhood and has encountered countless battles, her eyes still held that innocent look, like the eyes of a doll. It's one of Sakura's traits that he liked most, because he finds solace when he gazes into those bright emerald orbs of hers.

Sakura cleared her throat and that brought Itachi back to the present. He mentally scolded himself for lowering his guard during a mission. It's the first time ever since he became a shinobi that he let himself wander in his thoughts during a mission and he swore to himself that it will never happen again.

He gave the signal for Genma and Shino to enter and begin the search. After that he turned to Sakura and told her to look around at the second floor while he'll be scouting the third floor.

Sakura kept her guard up as she went through the long corridor of the second floor. It felt strange that no one was there to secure the area. She walked throug the corridor again, in search for the scroll, when she felt a prescence behind her.

"What's a beautiful young lady doing here all alone, un?"

She turned around to see a man, about Itachi's age, in a formal attire and was wearing a black mask. His blonde hair is tied up in a high pony tail and his bangs covered his left eye.

"I was looking for my partner but then I got lost"

"Well, a lady like you shouldn't be wandering around on her own, un. Come and I'll help you find him" he said as he offered his arm to her

She looked back at him, not completely trusting him. He held no chakra signature, either that or he's just good in masking his chakra. "Thank you, kind sir, but I believe that it's best for me to refuse your offer. I'll be able to find my partner on my own"

"I couldn't just leave a young lady here all alone, un. Come on, what does he look like?" he said as he dragged her out of the corridor.

She just sighed in annoyance. She wanted to smack the blonde guy, too bad she had to act as a well-mannered lady for tonight.

"Found it"

Genma's voice shot through their ear pieces. Sakura sighed in relief, the blonde man has been following her around these past few minutes, refusing to leave her on her own. He said that there might be criminals lurking around. She just ignored his ramblings, they already checked the area and found no traces of enemies.

"We'll meet at the back entrance. Sakura, meet me in the ballroom hall" Itachi said in a calm voice

"Okay" Sakura mumbled, making sure that the blonde man didn't hear her

She turned around to her blonde companion who was staring at a strange little sculpture. "I'm going back to the ballroom hall"

"Okay then, un" he said as he caught up with her and offered his arm. Much to her annoyance, Sakura accepted his offer. It wouldn't do well if she were to blow up their cover after Genma and Shino successfully retrieved the scroll.

"By the way,un, do you like art?" asked the mysterious blonde man as they walk out of the corridor

Sakura just stared at his half masked face, not really expecting this kind of question from him. "Well, I never really took much interest in the arts. If I may ask, why did you ask such a question?"

"It's just that a friend of mine said that art is supposed to live forever. But I say that art is a blast, un! It becomes more appreciated if it's only seen in a short period of time"

"Oh…" Sakura is at a loss for words, this guy is really a weird one.

"So, what do you think of art? Should it be transient or should it be eternal?"

"I think I agree with you, sir" There's no point in siding with someone who is not present, is there? And being the nice little lady that she is for now, she wouldn't want to leave this weird blonde man with a bad impression.

"That's great, un!" he said as he raised a fist into the air. Sakura just stared at him, having second thoughts if he really belongs with the upper class of the society.

"Anyway, what forms of art are you inclined to? Painting? Music? Literature?" she asked, coming up with the decision that engaging in a conversation is better than silence.

"You could say that I do sculptures, un. While my partner makes puppets, really crazy puppets, un"

Sakura smiled as she remembered Kankuro, he would definitely want to meet this blonde man's partner. "I would really like to see your art, sir"

"That won't be a problem, un. You'll see one later!" he said as they descended down the stairs.

Itachi was already there when they arrived at the ballroom hall.

He held out his arm for her when they were nearing

Both of the men exchanged odd looks, Sakura could only discern to be looks of challenge. She then went to Itachi's side.

"Thank you for the company, mister…"

"It's Deidara, un" he said as he took her hand and kissed it.

Sakura's cheeks instantly brightened with a deep color of red. She knew that this is a form of greeting or farewell that the upper class society does but she didn't expect this kind of thing from him.

Geniunely, she was very thankful for the mask hiding her face.

Then Deidara placed something in her palm and closed it with her fingers.

"I believe that this will not be the last time that we'll se each other, un"

And with that he turned on his back and left. Sakura opened her hand and stared at the object Deidara gave her. It was a sculpture of a cherry flower which just bloomed, it was made from white clay.

"Who was that?" asked Itachi, obviosuly irritated with the blonde man named Deidara

"His name is Deidara. He found me looking around at the corridor searching for the location of the scroll. He never left me since then" Sakura could only hope that Itachi won't make a big deal out of it. In the eight years that she knew him, she experienced firsthand how Itachi can be when he's irritated, though it rarely happens. She remembered back then when Itachi was really irritated when his father and the clan elders introduced him to five ladies and asked him if he is interested to court one of them.

He walked out of the Uchiha compound afterwards and went to Sakura's house and told her what happened. He spend the night cleaning and sharpening his weapons with an evil gleam in his eyes.

"Hn" he said as he offered his arm to her. Sakura blinked a couple of times before she linked her arm to his, thankful that Itachi didn't make the situation more complicated as it is.

It's the second time Itachi felt this strange feeling of anger towards any man who gets too close to Sakura. The first one was on his mother's birthday celebration when Sasuke escorted her home. He might be too overprotective of her but this feeling seems a little bit more. He didn't like it one bit.

He suddenly felt a pull on his arm and thankfully it brought him back to the present. He looked at his side and saw Sakura slipping on her three-inch heels.

He eyed her curiously as she raised an eyebrow at him "You don't have to drag me, you know. I'm fully capable of catching up with your pace, only if it wasn't for these heels"

Itachi blinked twice then it finally came to him that he was literally dragging her while he was pondering things in his head.

"Shall we go then?" asked Sakura and Itachi nodded in response. After they left the huge gates of the mansion, they changed back to their Anbu uniform, not wanting their dress and suit to be dirty on the way back to Konoha.

They met up with their teammates at the back entrance and after making sure that they left no traces behind, they sprinted through the forest.

"It's such a pity that I didn't get the chance to see you in a pretty dress, Sakura-chan" said Genma as he landed on a tree branch and jumped to another.

Sakura decided not to answer that question

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll see her in one soon. Your birthday is coming soon, right Sakura?" said Shino. It's the first week of March and she'll turn 19 soon.

"I'll bet that you're going to have a huge birthday bash. Don't forget to invite us, okay?" Genma turned towards her and she felt that he just gave her one of his flashy and attractive smiles under his Anbu mask.

"No, Genma, I'm not going to have a birthday bash. But I think Ino will try to have a surprise party again so feel free to come" she said as she remembered how Ino attempted to have a surprise party for her birthday on the past years but because she has a big mouth and all, she accidentally told Sakura about the party and so it wasn't a surprise anymore.

"Anyway, what's that on your pocket?" asked Genma after noticing a slight bump on her pants' pocket

"It's a gift I received earlier from an artist named Deidara" she replied as she brought out the cherry flower. Itachi twitched as he remembered that Deidara guy. Maybe a punch to that blonde's stomach would rid him of his annoyance towards the said guy.

Just then a loud explosion echoed throughout the forest, causing them to stop and look at the source. It was at the mansion they were just in!

"What the hell just happened?" yelled Sakura, not really expecting her teammates to come up with an answer

"That's a work of art, un!"

The four of them turned around and saw a man with blonde hair tied in a high ponytail and a hunched man with a mask and black hair. Both of them were wearing a black cloak with red clouds.

"Akatsuki…" said Itachi in a shallow voice, his sharingan already activated

Sakura's eyes widen in shock then she and her team got on their defensive stance.

She just stared at the blonde man then realization hit her hard. The Deidara whom accompanied her earlier at the party and the blonde Akatsuki member standing before them is the same person!

Deidara's eyes drifted to her and the thing that she's holding in her left hand.

"Oh, I didn't notice you there, Pinky"

"What do you want!" she yelled, mentally scolding herself for not sensing that he's an enemy earlier and worse interacting with him.

"No need to get all hot, un. We're just here to have a little chat with your Captain" said the blonde man as he turned to Itachi.

"No" said Itachi sternly as he eyed the blonde Akatsuki member with his sharingan

"Come on, un! We came all the way here and you're just going to reject us again!" whined Deidara childishly. Just then the other Akatsuki member stepped up.

"Cut it, Deidara" he said malevolently as he passed Deidara and stood before the stoic Anbu Captain "I'll ask again, Uchiha Itachi, are you willing to join Akatsuki?"

"No" he replied grimly.

"Then we'll take our leave" he said as he turned around towards his partner. The three Anbu stood there, puzzled. They came here just to get rejected by Itachi to join their evil organization?

"You're no fun at all, Sasori no danna" complained Deidara

"Orders are orders" said Sasori as he glared at his partner

"Okay, okay un. I just wished that I could show Pinky here how my art works. She wasn't able to watch how the mansion got blown up" he said as his eyes drifted to the pink haired Anbu

"You mean you were the one responsible for that!" yelled Sakura, her anger rising. So many lives were lost just because this weird artist wanted to have fun and he was so proud of it!

"Yeah, Pinky. I remember you mentioned earlier that you wanted to see my art, un. Unfortunately, you already fled and weren't able to see how my art exploded!" he said then noticed that she was still holding the gift he gave to her earlier. He smirked evilly then turned around to where his partner stood.

"Remember Pinky, art is a blast, un!" he said out loud as he and his partner disappeared in a flash.

Sakura just stared at the spot where they were just a few seconds ago. What do they really want?

Suddenly, the cherry flower that Deidara gave her started to glow. She glimpsed at it before panic rose up through her system.

"RUN!" she yelled as hard as she could then threw the cherry flower away

Then the forest exploded.

The four Anbu stood in front of Godaime in her office, the scroll already at her table. Tsunade inspected their forms, Itachi was the only one unscathed while Genma still held a few light burns on his body, Shino has slight head trauma and Sakura has her right arm broken and from the looks of it her chakra was very low

They were lucky enough to leave the forest without casualties. Among the four of them Genma sustained the worst injury. Almost half of his body got burned and he has a dislocated shoulder. He was the closest to Sakura when the explosion happened and without any thoughts, he shielded her and took her away from the explosion. She proceeded to healing him right away. She healed the burns first and then fixed his dislocated shoulder. It took most of her chakra but she didn't mind it at all. Then came Itachi with an unconscious Shino slung on his shoulder. The force of the explosion sent him flying towards a tree and hit his head on it. Luckily, the injury is a minor one and no major nerve was damaged.

"Report. Now" demanded the grumpy Hokage

Itachi stepped up and told the full details of their mission, of course he left out the part when his emotions took control of his mind for a short period of time.

"Tsunade-sama, I would also like to tell you something" said Itachi

Tsunade eyed him, asking him if he want it to be private. His onyx eyes told her that it's okay for his team to hear what he has to say.

"Speak" she ordered as she placed her elbows ontop of the table and rested her chin on top of her hands

"Five years ago, an Akatsuki member named Hoshigaki Kisame, a missing nin from the hidden village of Mist, appeared before me when we were in a mission. He made his intention clear before anything else. He wanted me to join the Akatsuki"

Shino and Genma weren't really surprised. They were with Itachi at that time and he made them promise not to tell anyone. He said that this is a personal matter and that no one should ever know about this. The two of them held high respect for their Captain and knew that he would do something about it so they kept their promise.

Then the Godaime stood up from her chair in disbelief "WHAT! This happened five years ago and you didn't tell me!" she soon calmed down and went back to her seat.

"I apologize, Hokage-sama" he said as he bowed his head. Tsunade just nodded and told him to go on

"I refused his offer but he wouldn't accept it. He challenged me to a fight. If I win, he'll leave me alone and if I lose, I have to join them. Surely enough, I eliminated him. All was peaceful until another Akatsuki member appeared after three years. He called himself Kakuzu. He asked me again to join their organization and I refused their offer again. But this time he didn't do anything else and just left after that. Then a few weeks later the Uchiha clan planned to revolt against the Hokage. An Akatsuki member, an Uchiha and a Konoha missing nin, was the one who gave the idea and the clan bought it without much thought. They ordered me to spy on the Hokage. Somehow, the Hokage sensed this and ordered me to spy on my clan" he paused, debating with himself whether to continue with that part of the story.

Itachi's teammates stared at him, confusion clearly written on their faces.

Tsunade, noticing their confused looks, decided to help Itachi. "Itachi was a double agent, working for the Sandaime and his clan. The Sandaime's last resort to keep the peace within the whole village was to have Itachi murder his whole clan. Thankfully, Uchiha Fugaku, the clan leader at that time up to the present, backed out of the original plan. Most of the clan elders approved and only a few disagreed. Those who didn't approve of the clan's decision were either eliminated or were banished from Konoha"

There was a moment of silence before Genma decided to speak up, senbon still hanging from his mouth.

"So, what does that have to do with the recent Akatsuki encounter?"

"What Itachi is trying to say is that the Akatsuki is planning something much more wicked than the failed Uchiha uprising a few years ago, isn't that right Itachi?" the pink-haired kunoichi spoke up as she turned to Itachi, waiting for his response.

Itachi regarded her with a simple nod

Sakura was one of the very few people who knew about the failed Uchiha revolt against the Hokage. As to how, Itachi told her of course! Or rather, Itachi grew tired of her persistence and decided to let her in just to shut her up.

"Very well then" said Tsunade with authority in her voice "I will call for a meeting this week. Sakura, Shino and Genma, go to the hospital and have the medics treat your injuries"

"Hai" the four replied in unison then left her office.

"Hey! Forehead girl!" greeted Ino as Sakura entered their flower shop. Ever since her last mission with Itachi's Anbu team, she's been thinking of Itachi a lot and she doesn't even know why.

This kind of thing is not like when she was younger and still has a huge crush on his brother, Sasuke. She was attracted to Sasuke just because of his appearance. All that was underneath it was ignored. But this thing with Itachi is at a different level. Her face heats up whenever he's near and whenever he speaks, his voice is like a soothing melody.

"Hey Ino-pig!" she greeted back as she grinned at her female bestfriend. It only makes sense that Ino is the one whom she seeks help from when she has personal problems.

Both of the girls went up to Ino's room after Ino called out to her mom that she'll be with Sakura upstairs.

"So, what's the problem?" asked Ino as she sat across from Sakura on the low mahogany table.

"I don't know! I'm so confused!" whined Sakura as she put her hands to her head and started pulling on her pink hair.

Ino gave her a glare "Come on, forehead girl! Spill it!"

Sakura, knowing what that glare meant, decided to just give up and tell her bestfriend what's bugging her. She's sure Ino will enlighten her. "I don't know… But I think I'm starting to have feelings for Itachi. Not just the brotherly feelings that I have for him, but something deeper…"

"So, you're attracted to him in a romantic way" Ino stated like it was the most obvious fact in the world

Sakura nearly spat her tea at Ino's statement "WHAT!"

"Tell me, when did you start having this feeling towards him?"

"Well, ever since I met him I always looked up to him as a big brother. But when we were on a mission three days ago, it's like I felt something new for him" then she turned her head towards Ino

"Tell me Ino, how do you feel when you're with Sai?" she asked innocently. Ino and Sai have been dating for quite a while and they're now officially a couple. It's still a mystery to her as to how a silent person like Sai and a loud person like Ino would end up dating each other.

At this question, Ino blushed profusely "Well, I feel secured when I'm with Sai. Even though he lacks social skills, he really tries his best to socialize. At first, Choji and Shikamaru were against him dating me. But soon they saw how eager Sai is. I'm sure a lot of people are thinking that Sai and are a mismatch. To hell with them! They can think all they want. But the fact remains that Sai and I are together and nothing will change that"

"You sure hit rock bottom there, pig" teased Sakura as she gave a little laugh.

Ino pouted at her "Well, Sai is very different than the other guys that I've dated"

"You mean you actually dated other guys before!"

Ino frowned at her "Of course! It's hard for boys to resist a beautiful girl such as myself, you know" then she eyed her pink-haired friend

"How about you, forehead! How many guys have you dated?" then she burst out laughing

"I FORGOT THAT YOU HAVE OVERPROTECTIVE TEAMMATES!"

Sakura frowned in response "Stop laughing, pig! They just love me, in a very weird way…"

"Yeah! They love you so much they won't even let a guy get close to you! Good luck finding Mr. Right!" Ino's laughter died down after another thought passed through her mind.

"Oh right, you already found him. Good for you!" said Ino as she pat her bestfriend on the back

"Ino!" Sakura pouted at her bestfriend who seemed to have forgotten the reason why she's here

Ino cleared her throat as she went back to the topic "Now, it's your turn Sakura. Tell me how you feel when you're with Itachi"

There was a moment of silence before Sakura spoke up "Well, just like you, I feel really secured when I'm Itachi. I guess it's because he's been at my side ever since I knew him. His mere presence makes me feel happy and contented. My day is not complete if I don't get to spend some time with him. He's been my crying shoulder since I was young and he doesn't even complain about it. I wouldn't be the person I am today if it wasn't for him"

It took a few moments before Ino found her voice again "Well, trust me when I say this, Sakura" Ino paused as she looked at Sakura in the eye

"I think you're in love with him"

A long pause

"Me? In love with him?"

Uchiha Shisui is a person who values his freedom more than anything else. He already lost count on how many times he wished that he was just a normal shinobi, not bounded by a famous last name. Sure, being an Uchiha earns you an undetermined amount of respect from civilians and fellow shinobi. But it also meant that you have to do whatever the clan leader and elders tell you to do, just for the sake of the whole clan.

He almost lost his freedom once. A few years back, the clan head and elders ordered him to marry a girl from a wealthy family residing along Fire Country. An arranged marriage. He knew that it's for the good of the clan, but he wouldn't sacrifice his freedom just for it. However, the clan was very eager to have him married to the girl. And just when it seemed like there's no way out anymore and he is willing to sacrifice his freedom and happiness just for the sake of his clan, a light shone upon him by the name of Uchiha Itachi.

Itachi convinced his father and the clan elders to let Shisui choose for himself. He didn't know what agreement they came upon but because of that, he finally regained his freedom. And for that he'll forever be grateful to his younger cousin Itachi.

"Honey, your cousin Itachi is here" called out his wife by the name of Uchiha Hana formerly known as Inuzuka Hana. He smiled at his wife then stood up from the wooden porch he was sitting at. They've been married for almost five months now and they're expecting their first child to be born in eight months' time.

He went to the living room and saw his cousin sitting there. They exchanged greetings and he gestured Itachi to follow him to the porch where he was recently.

"So, what brings you here, Itachi?" said Shisui in his usual carefree tone. He knew Itachi is facing another problem, a big problem at that. Of course, he might not have the answers to his problems but the fact that he chose him to tell his problems to is enough for him.

The younger Uchiha looked confused at first. Shisui is one of the few people he trusts to talk about his personal problems with. The first time he approached Shisui in this manner (with a big problem in his mind) was after the failed Uchiha uprising and he just needs someone to talk to.

He cleared his throat first before he spoke "How do you feel when you're with your wife?"

Shisui blushed at his question, something he didn't expect from Itachi. Well, Itachi is already at the right age to settle down. He just wished that the clan won't arrange a marriage for his younger cousin, just like what they did for him years ago.

"Well, how can I say this? Hana makes me comfortable. Just seeing her after a long and stressful day at the Konoha Police makes all my stress go away. She is the one I'm always looking forward to when I'm out on missions. To summarize it all up, it's like I became a new person after I met her. Back then, I was always the selfish person who doesn't care about what's going on around him, but she changed all of that"

Itachi just nodded in understanding. So, that's how it feels to be romantically attracted to someone.

It's true that the only person who makes him comfortable other than his family is Sakura. She has this certain aura within her that relaxes him. That is one of the reasons why he likes to spend the night at her house. And it's also true that after every mission he goes home, not to the Uchiha Compound, but to her because he always knows that she'll be there to welcome him. She was the one who kept him sane in this dangerous world they're living in.

Shisui cleared his throat, effectively bringing Itachi back from his inner ramblings. "Have you already found your bride-to-be?"

"I prefer it if we don't speak about that matter"

"Well, do I know her at least?"

Itachi just glared at him, a glare which meant 'end of discussion'. It's probably too early to assume such things. And knowing Itachi, he wouldn't appreciate it if one invades his privacy.

"Well, I just hope that the clan is not forcing you in an arranged marriage"

"They are not"

"That's good. I can only hope for the best with your girl, Itachi"

Itachi just regarded him with a curt nod

Eerie silence filled the space between them. Itachi can't stop thinking of his feelings for Sakura. He's been with her for eight years and he hadn't thought of her as a lover in those eight years. Not until now. Somehow, their last mission triggered it. He couldn't quite describe the feeling he felt when he saw Sakura in that long gown, looking like a fairy. Or that feeling that he got when he saw the stares directed towards her while they were at the masquerade party and that time when she was with that guy named Deidara. Was he being possessive of her?

"Do you feel anger towards anybody who gets too close to her back then when you still are not married to each other?" Itachi suddenly asked

"Oh, you mean jealous? Of course! But you must always remember that there's a very large difference between jealousy and possessiveness. You feel jealous when someone gets too close to that certain person because you have feelings for that person. Possessiveness is an angry feeling you feel for someone just because they have something you don't. You could say that jealousy is associated with feelings while possessiveness is associated with greed"

Itachi responded with a nod. So, what he felt for her is jealousy, not possessiveness.

Shisui just smirked inwardly. It's true that many regard Itachi as a genius but when it comes to matters of the heart, he's as clueless as a little child. Well, that's why he's here, right?

He also noticed that Itachi doesn't hold that aura of isolation anymore. He's been noticing it for the past few days. Must be because of the girl, perhaps it's his pink-haired bestfriend?

Come to think of it, he's been like her guardian ever since her parents passed away. He always saw them together, Itachi even helped her in training at times.

Well, if it really is the pink-haired kunoichi's fault then he has nothing to complain about. He had always heard people saying things like 'she's a special one'. Probably because the Hokage, Lady Tsunade, took her under her wing and made a great shinobi out of her. He had failed to notice that she really is a special one to catch the attention of his stoic cousin.

Shisui glanced beside him at his cousin, from the looks of it he's contemplating to himself again. He is no stranger when it comes love. He knows someone who's in love when he sees one.

"Itachi" he called out, effectively distracting him from his thoughts.

"Believe me when I say this…"

The younger Uchiha just responded with a nod, indicating him to go on

"I think you're in love with her"

A long pause

"Me? In love with her?"

* * *

Author's Notes: Hi there! Sorry if it took a long while for me to update!

This chapter took longer than I expected. Somehow, I found it hard writing Itachi's lines, seeing as he is a man of few words. I have to thank a lot of authors who also wrote Itasaku stories, I got a great help from their stories hehehe…

Anyway, school is nearing and I can only hope that I'll be able to finish this before things start to get hectic.

Feel free to ask me questions regarding this story

And I would really appreciate it if you leave a review, it inspires me to do well in writing…

(*^o^*) Peace out! (*^o^*)

**Kaycee**


	7. Chapter 7

**Unusually**

**Chapter 7: In a very unusual way, this is love**

"Happy Birthday, Sakura!" greeted Ino as Sakura entered her home after a 2-day mission with Team Kakashi.

Sakura just stared at her in a confused manner

"Where's everyone, Ino?"

"Get dressed, forehead! Everyone's waiting for you at the club!" said Ino excitedly as she pushed Sakura to her bedroom and locked the door behind her. She then handed Sakura a bag full of dresses, dresses which were far too revealing for her liking.

"Ino! You know I won't wear these dresses!" Sakura protested as she picked up a black tube dress which she assumed to reach just inches below her derriere.

"Of course you will! I picked those especially for you!" retorted Ino as she picked up a black leather spaghetti-strapped dress.

"You won't let this slip, won't you?" asked Sakura as she raised a brow at her female bestfriend

"Of course!" replied Ino as she nudged Sakura to the bathroom connected to her bedroom "Now go clean yourself up and let's see which of these lovely dresses best fits you!"

"Thank you for your concern, _mother, _but I think I'm old enough to choose for myself"

Ino just chuckled as she continued to look at the dresses she brought.

Sakura emerged from the bathroom after twenty minutes, free from all the dirt and sweat she got from her previous mission. She just stood there, wrapped in her bath robe, as she stared at the dresses laid on her bed.

"Don't just stand there, Sakura! I already sorted out these dresses, you just need to choose" said Ino exuberantly

Sakura stared disbelievingly as Ino showed the clothes she brought for her. There's no way she'll wear those! All of the dresses were too revealing for her liking.

Finally, after countless rejections of Ino's suggestions, Sakura finally found a dress to wear. It wasn't like the seductive dresses Ino suggested earlier. It was more on the conservative side but it still shows the perfectly-curved body she worked so hard to achieve.

"Now let's show those guys how we rock!" yelled Ino as they stepped out of Sakura's house and made their way to the club.

* * *

"Hey guys!" Ino shouted as she entered the club and automatically all eyes turned to her. They had rented out a small portion of the club, one that was built to host private parties.

"I present to you our birthday girl, Sakura!" Ino then stepped aside to make for Sakura.

Eyes widen as Sakura entered, wearing a red halter dress which reached her mid thighs. Her hair was let down, barely grazing her shoulders, with a beaded headband accessorizing it. She had a pair of red dangling earrings with matching necklace and bracelet, something she got from her foster mother. She wore three-inch pointed red stilletos and Ino helped her apply her make up.

Sakura's smile widen as she saw her friends and colleagues there. Some of them even took a day off just for this day, she couldn't be happier.

Then the greetings and gifts came. The gifts didn't really matter to her, what's important is that everyone she holds dear is here with her to celebrate her birthday.

She sat at the stool next to the bar as she watched familiar faces dancing their lights out at the dance floor. Sai and Ino were dancing sweetly, Kiba and Lee were having a showdown to see who's the better dancer while a crowd was forming around them.

She just laughed as she sipped on her apple martini. No matter how many years have passed, some things just never change.

She felt slight fidgeting at her side and she turned her head to see Sasuke sitting on the stool beside her. She smiled at him in greeting, he simply nodded in response and handed her a box.

"What's this?" she asked as she stared at the box curiously

"A present from Mother. She said she's sorry she won't be able to attend your party, she has clan business to attend to with Father"

"That's okay" she smiled at the thought of Uchiha Mikoto. Aside from her shishou, the Uchiha Mistress has been like a mother figure, not just for her but also for Naruto. She always invited them over for lunch or dinner, despite Sasuke's disagreement

"Anyway, where's your brother?" she asked as she looked around in search for Itachi

"Well, we just got back a few hours ago. I didn't see him when I went home earlier" replied Sasuke, also wondering where his brother is. It has always been his brother's principle to be prompt, so where could he be?

Sakura's worry started to grow. What if he encountered one of those Akatsuki again? They were lucky enough to escape from those Akatsuki without fatal injuries and they weren't even intent on fighting them, they were just there to deliver a message. Then an image of a bloody Itachi on the brink of death appeared in her mind. What would she do if the image in her mind became a reality? How will she deal with it?

Suddenly a warm hand rested on top of hers and she looked up to see Sasuke staring at her. He must have sensed her worry.

"Stop that, Sakura. He's Uchiha Itachi, remember? He won't easily be subdued" he said then stood up, leaving Sakura to herself.

Yes, he's _the _Uchiha Itachi. He's didn't became Anbu Captain at the age of 13 for nothing. He's not the pride of the Uchiha clan for nothing. She scolded herself for belittling her bestfriend. She is his bestfriend, she should've known what he's capable of.

With that thought in mind, she left the bar and on to the dance floor with her friends.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Itachi stood impatiently as he waited for the cashier to ring up the item he bought. The Godaime suddenly gave him a solo mission last night. As much as he hated to be away on Sakura's birthday, he had no choice. But he finished the mission as fast as he could and is now making his way back to Konoha. He assumed that he'll arrive there before midnight. He just hoped that Sakura will understand since she's a shinobi too, but sometimes she's just too stubborn.

"Here you go, sir" said the cashier as she smiled at him in a flirtatious manner. Itachi just shrugged it off, took the paper bag and then walked away. He knew exactly what that smile meant and it didn't please him one bit.

Shrugging those thoughts aside, he sped up towards the direction of Konoha. Sakura's female bestfriend, Ino, spoke to him yesterday about Sakura's surprise party. Instead of the usual place, which is Sakura's house, they rented out a small portion of the club for a private party.

The mention of the club sickened him slightly. It's a place where vices grow. As much as possible, he wants to keep her away from those things, his overprotective side taking over. But then again she's 19 now, she should be aware of the adult world. He shouldn't keep her naïve from reality.

He just hoped that Sakura won't be too curious. Especially now that he acknowledged the fact that he's attracted to her. He wants to keep her to himself as much as possible. He is the person who will stop at nothing to get what he wants and right now all he wants is Sakura.

Possessive as it may sound, but that's the truth.

Then the gift he bought for her came to his mind. He specifically had it made by their family's jeweler. Sakura is special to him, it's only right to give her something special for her birthday.

He smiled inwardly as he thought of what Sakura's response would be.

* * *

Sakura took a seat at the stool next to the bar. She had danced the night away, effectively disregarding her worry for Itachi. It surprised her that she can have the stamina to dance like that for hours right after coming back from a mission. It felt good to release all your worries and problems by dancing. She was grateful that she's with her friends or else she wouldn't dance like that at all.

"Here" she turned to her side and saw her sensei Yamato, offering her a glass of water with a smile.

She thanked him and gulped down the contents of the glass.

"By the way, where's Itachi? I haven't seen him at all"

Sakura's face suddenly became gloom at the mention of his name. Where could he be? If he's playing a prank on her, it's not funny. He couldn't have forgotten, could he? She's starting to be disappointed in him. How could he not be here?

"Well, he's not here" she replied with a sad smile.

"I'm sure he has his reasons" he said as he ruffled her hair. She smiled at him in return, glad for his concern.

"BEER DRINKING CONTEST! BEER DRINKING CONTEST!" Ino's loud voice was heard throughout the whole club.

"I'm in!" she called back, bowed politely to her sensei then made her way towards Ino. This will probably keep her away from thinking of him.

* * *

Itachi opened the large doors of the club. It's still an hour before midnight and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. Most of the adults already left, leaving their students to themselves. He scanned the room, searching for the pink-haired birthday girl.

"I *hic* WIN!"

Itachi turned to the direction of the voice and found an unpleasant sight. Kiba and Naruto were slumped down on the counter, each holding a half-empty glass of beer. While Sakura was swinging her empty glass of beer wildly, cheeks flushed red.

"I WON!" she yelled as she slammed the glass to the counter, breaking the glass apart and leaving a large dent on the counter. Then she stood up, with great difficulty, and was about to take a step when she lost her balance.

Itachi caught her just in time and stared at her unfocused eyes. From the looks of it, she's been drinking for a couple of hours already.

She stared at him through bleary vision for a couple of seconds before she finally realized who it was.

"Itachi! You're finally *hic* here!" she said as she fling her arms around his neck. He was surprised for a moment then his senses picked up and assumed that she's already drunk judging by the way she smell and her appearance.

"You're drunk" he stated in an irritated tone

"Really?" she asked with a grin on her face as Itachi helped her stand up.

"I'll take you home"

"Okay!"

* * *

"So, where have you been?" asked a very drunk Sakura on his back as they made their way towards her house.

Itachi just disregarded her and tightened his grip on her knees. They won't get anywhere with Sakura walking in every direction.

"I was waiting for you, you know. The party is incomplete without you, you know why?"

Itachi paused for a second then resumed walking again.

"Because I'm in love with you, you damn Uchiha! I just realized it a couple of days ago!" she then erupted in a hysterical laugh.

Itachi stopped completely after hearing that. She's in love with him? It only makes sense since he's attracted to her in the same way. What does this mean?

Then he growled inwardly. Sakura is drunk. She probably said that without thinking, drunken people tend to do that.

He needs to have a decent talk with Sakura soon.

* * *

Sakura sighed for the hundredth time that day.

The morning after the party, she found herself in her bed. She still remembered Itachi taking her home in his back but she couldn't remember what she was saying. Luckily, she found him down at the kitchen, preparing breakfast. She really wanted to have a conversation with him, ask him why he came late at the party and try to understand his reasons as best as she could. But no matter how she try, Itachi kept on ignoring her. He must be mad at her for drinking too much last night. He's the type of person who will keep on ignoring you until you realize what you've done and do the necessary things to make up to it. Perhaps he wants her to apologize for last night and explain herself.

But what about what he did last night? He just showed up to pick her and that's it? He didn't even greet her or explain why he's late in the first place. And now he's the one who's mad?

"_If he wants an apology then he must be the one to apologize first" _Sakura as a smirk appeared on her lips then she felt her smirk go down in a sad smile. It's been a week now since Itachi started ignoring her and she really misses him.

"Sakura, are you okay?" asked Shizune as she took notice of Sakura's sad expression.

"Sakura, what's wrong? You can always tell me and Shizune" said the Godaime, concern apparently showing through her voice.

Sakura took another sigh then proceeded to tell them what happened between her and Itachi. Luckily, Tsunade didn't reprimand her for drinking too much during her birthday (since she drinks a lot too) and told her that she's already an adult.

"Well, you should apologize to him. It will make things much easier if you ask me" commented Shizune as she patted Tonton on the head.

"I remember giving him a solo mission the night before your birthday. It was an emergency and he was the only one available for the job" said Tsunade

Then realization dawned upon Sakura "WAIT! You mean Itachi didn't miss my birthday on purpose?"

"Of course, silly. Why would he do that?" said Shizune as she gave a light chuckle.

"Then I'll go right away and apologize!" she then turned towards the door and was about to leave when she heard her shishou's voice

"Sakura, don't forget about the festival tomorrow"

"Of course I won't!" she then left through the door into the Uchiha Compound, leaving her shishou and her senpai dumbfounded.

"Ah… Young love!" exclaimed Tsunade before going back to signing more paperwork.

* * *

Sakura sprinted through the rooftops of various houses leading to the Uchiha Compound. She was so foolish to even think that Itachi missed her party on purpose! She was so blinded by her pride that she didn't even thought of the possible reasons for his absence.

But enough of the mental scolding, she must apologize to Itachi right now. A week has passed since she had a talk with him and she really missed him. This solves the mystery as to why she felt so empty this past week. Only Itachi can fill up that emptiness.

And before she knew it, she was standing in front of Itachi's house in the Uchiha Compound. She knocked loudly on the door, eager to see him quickly.

She suppressed a bright smile when someone went to open the door.

"Sakura"

"Sasuke?" she threw him a confused look, expecting the older Uchiha to open the door

"I live in here, Sakura. What's the matter?" he asked, obviously annoyed

"Where's Itachi?"

"He's away on a mission"

Then her bright smile turned into a sad smile

"Is that so?" she asked as she bowed her head down, staring at her feet as to avoid eye contact with him.

"Did you two have a misunderstanding or something?" he asked, slight concern evident in his voice

Sakura just nodded her head shyly, averting his eyes

Sasuke just stared at his female teammate. Only one man can make her feel like that, and that's his older brother. But somehow, this seems to be on a higher level. What they have for each other, is it mere friendship or something deeper than that?

"Well, do you want to talk about it?" he asked as he stared at her. Well, he just can't leave a mentally disturbed teammate like that, can he?

Sakura agreed after a few moments, knowing that Sasuke will enlighten her on the situation.

* * *

_The next day…_

Sakura stared at herself in the mirror as she straightened her yukata. Today is the Konoha Summer Fireworks Festival and she'll be spending it with her team. She guessed that Itachi is still away on his mission, it's a pity that he'll never get to watch the fireworks this year. They made it a point to always spend the said festival together.

She stared again at her reflection on the mirror as she adjusted her obi. The pink yukata she's wearing is given to her by Mikoto, Itachi and Sasuke's mother. It belonged to her when she was still in her teens and gave it to her since she won't be using it anymore. Mikoto always gives her gifts even when there's no occasion. Sakura still doesn't know why the woman is so nice to her, perhaps since she's teammates with Itachi and Sasuke. She always treats her like her own child.

Well, if Itachi decides to propose to her someday then there will be no problem, right? Everyone will be happy and-WHAT!

She shrugged the thoughts aside quickly, not wanting dwell on that anymore. It's best not to assume things like that because in the end, if it just won't work out, then she'll be greatly affected.

The sudden banging of the front door told her that Naruto is already there. With one last glance at the mirror, she picked up her pouch and left the house with Naruto.

"LOOK! There's also a takoyaki stall!" Naruto yelled exuberantly as he made his way to the stall, not even waiting for his teammates.

"Wait up, Dobe!" called out Sasuke as he followed after his blonde teammate

Sakura just followed them gingerly with a thoughtful face, even if she's with her teammates now she still can't help but feel empty. Sure, the conversation she had with Sasuke helped her feel better but it just wasn't enough without Itachi. It's strange but his presence alone makes her feel contented.

Maybe Ino was right all along…

It might sound foolish but maybe she really is in love with him, more than what she thinks…

"Oi! Sakura-chan, are you just gonna stand there?" asked Naruto as he waved at her, breaking her train of thoughts.

"Wait for me!"

* * *

Itachi emerged from the bathroom clad in nothing but his bathrobe. He just got back from a mission with his team an hour ago. And even though his body is still tired, he just can't leave the matter with Sakura neglected. He has been ignoring her for the past week for her to realize what she's done and how it will affect those around her. He knows that she is an intelligent kunoichi so it won't be hard for to realize her mistake on her own.

Then he saw his mother while making his way to his room

"Are you going to the Fireworks Festival?" she asked with a smile on her face

"Yes" he promised Sakura when she was 12 that he'll make it a point to always be available on the day of the Fireworks Festival so that they can watch the fireworks together.

"Go ahead then. Your brother is already there with his team" she said, her smile not wavering even just a bit. It seems that she has foreseen what will happen tonight.

"Are you not going, mother?"

"Your father and I will stay and watch the fireworks from here. You kids go ahead and have fun, okay?" she said then turned to leave

"Oh, and good luck with Sakura-chan" and with that she began to walk away

Itachi just stared at his mother's retreating back. Somehow, she always has this ability to foresee things, especially when it comes to her children. He's just glad that she's like that, always looking for his wellbeing.

He then went to his bedroom and got dressed for the festival.

* * *

Sakura made her way through the crowd holding a stick of cotton candy. It may seem childish but she really likes it. She already left her teammates. For them (especially Naruto) every festival is all about the food. Luckily, Sasuke decided to join him, just in case the blonde gets in to trouble. Those two always had a brother-like bond with each other even though they argue a lot. They really are bestfriends.

Then Sakura suppressed another sigh. It really is too bad that Itachi won't be here to see the fireworks with her. Watching the fireworks is not the same without him. She might as well go home than to see the fireworks and be reminded of him again.

She was walking through the small bridge under the river when she saw someone ascend from the trees. Sakura's sad smile brightened enthusiastically as she realized who it was. Even though the darkness made it hard for her to see his face, his presence alone identified who he was.

"Itachi!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around him and enveloped him in a tight hug.

"Sakura" he called back as he stroked her head. Joy overwhelmed him just by seeing her. She looked so beautiful. The color of the yukata fits her perfectly, her shoulder-length pink hair is tied in a bun and her emerald eyes with shining with utmost joy.

She closed her eyes and took in his scent. God knows how much she missed him, even though it was just one week. It's really nice to know that a certain person can make you feel complete just by being there.

They let go after a moment, finding it inappropriate for someone to see them in that position. Sakura just stared at him with her cheeks reddened. He looked so gorgeous especially with that grey yukata. She guessed that he looks just as gorgeous with any type of clothing, especially with an appearance like that. Then she stared at his face illuminated by the moonlit sky. There's just something about him that makes him stand out. Especially his eyes, those deep obsidian pools which always seem to shine most when they're together.

Itachi cleared his throat, effectively distracting her from her inner musings. Sakura then straightened up, an apology is all that is needed for them to return to normal and she'll gladly do it.

She then stared at him straight in the eyes, sincerity showing through her them.

"Itachi, I'm sorry for what happened that night. I was just really sad that you couldn't come so I distracted myself and let myself loose on the alcohol. I'm so sorry for acting inappropriately"

Itachi nodded in response, telling her that her apology is accepted. "I apologize too for not informing you about the reason of my absence that night. I was-" he was cut off when Sakura placed a finger on his lips

"You don't have to explain to me, shishou told me about it" she said as a warm smile appeared on her face

Itachi nodded again in response. Then he pulled a small box from his sleeve. He forgot to give it to her on her birthday.

Sakura eyed the small box curiously as Itachi handed it to her. She glanced at Itachi, as if asking if it's okay to open it. He just gave her a curt nod.

Sakura slowly opened the box and was really delighted. It was a silver necklace with a sparkling cherry flower pendant. The craftsmanship was excellent, she supposed it was done by an expert.

"Happy Birthday" then he showed her one of his rarest smiles. Then he took the necklace and put it around her neck.

"Thank you so much, Itachi!" she said as she threw her arms around his neck again.

They were now face to face with each other, their breaths cascading on each other's skin.

Then Itachi asked himself, should he or should he not close the distance between them?

Suddenly fireworks erupted in the sky, illuminating the night sky with its sparkling colors and giving Itachi the answer to his question.

He's really in love with her

This is love

And without further ado, he captured her lips in a tender, passionate kiss with the fireworks playing in the background.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Hi there! Hope you liked this chapter! I was really happy while writing this chapter, I'm really inspired hehehe…

Anyway, I've just noticed that there are no lines or anything signifies that it's another situation in the previous chapters. I always have those when I'm writing but when I upload them here, they disappear. I'm sorry for not taking notice of that until now...

School is coming soon but I promise that I won't neglect my duties as an author. I'm in third year college now and I can only hope for things to go well.

Thanks again to all who reviewed and gave their suggestions. I really appreciate it! And I apologize if failed to reply to your reviews, but I'm trying my best. Also, thanks to those who included Unusually in their favorite stories and subscribed to alerts. And a big hug goes to all those who included me in their favorite authors!

Please review!

Keep safe!

(*^o^*) Peace out! (*^o^*)

**Kaycee**


	8. Chapter 8

**Unusually**

**Chapter 8: In a very unusual way, I wish we could stay like this forever**

"I must concentrate" Sakura berated herself as she focused a large amount of chakra in her palms

But the problem is that she couldn't!

The memory of her and Itachi's first kiss kept on playing in her mind. Sure, Itachi was the one who initiated the kiss but what surprised her is that she returned it with equal passion. It's been two weeks since that incident but she can still feel his lips tenderly on top of hers. The kiss felt like the most heavenly feeling she has ever felt. It's still a mystery to her as to how such a contact can make her feel a myriad of different emotions at the same time.

Oh, his lips…

His soft and moist lips…

"SAKURA!" yelled Tsunade, bringing her back to her task

"Sorry!" she stammered as she suspended the chakra in her palms

"Forget about that for now, let's have lunch" said Tsunade as they rested on a nearby tree. Sakura happily took a seat next to her mother figure. She just started training with Tsunade to learn Summoning no jutsu. It felt great to bond with her shishou again since it's been a long time since they have trained together.

"Shishou, how does it feel to be in love?" asked Sakura suddenly as she munched on the dumplings Tsunade brought. The matter with Itachi kept on plaguing her mind and surely enough a woman who has experienced the ups and downs of love can enlighten her.

"Well, how should I put it? When you're in love, you feel at peace whenever you're with him, even if there are a lot of problems around. And you tend to do things for no apparent reason just for him" replied Tsunade as memories of her lover, Dan, flooded her mind. Dan will always have a special place in her heart even if he passed away long ago. Even if it broke her heart when he died, she won't regret loving him for it was one of the happiest days of her life.

"Shishou, do you mind if I ask you a question? It's kind of personal though" she asked quite nervously

"Go ahead" answered Tsunade, not really minding it, as she continued chewing on the dumpling

"Why do you always reject Jiraiya-sama? I know that he's perverted and all but if you ask me, it's obvious that he's passionate towards you"

Tsunade thought about it for a while before she came to her answer "You know me, Sakura. I only want the best. Dan is the only one I want to spend my whole life with, he is the best for me. I can't be with Jiraiya knowing that he's just second best"

"And besides" she added as she stared at the bright blue sky above

"Bestfriends can't be lovers, right?"

"Huh?" questioned Sakura. What did she say just now?

"Well, I only think of Jiraiya as a friend, not a lover. And if ever we get to that stage, I doubt that it will last for long. Perverted as he is, Jiraiya is still one of my trusted friends and a thing like that will only get in the way"

Comprehension dawned upon Sakura. If that's so, then what will happen between her and Itachi if ever such a day will come? Are they truly meant to be just bestfriends, nothing more and nothing less?

"But maybe there is an exception to that" said Sakura unsurely

Tsunade stared at her with analyzing eyes. Over the years, she came to love Sakura not only as a student but also as a daughter, thus coming to know her personally. She knew that she was talking about her relationship with Uchiha Itachi based on her troubled expression.

"You're talking about you and Itachi" Tsunade remarked

Sakura just nodded, not the least bit surprised by her shishou's remark. Her friends have always told her that she was easy to read.

Tsunade, not wanting to have a troubled apprentice especially when they're in training, decided to state what she had always thought of them

"Well, of course there are! I'm not dumb to sense there's some chemistry between you and your Uchiha"

And just as Tsunade predicted, Sakura's face quickly lit up

"Really!" asked Sakura as she almost jumped and spilled the remaining food of her bento.

"My only advice is not to give your all, especially since you're not yet wedded. Leave some for yourself. Trust me, it will be less painful that way"

Sakura nodded attentively as she tried to remember all the things her shishou told her. Surely, she'll learn more things other than Summoning Technique in this training.

* * *

Itachi sat on the porch as he sipped green tea with his cousin Shisui. He's been hanging out with him more often nowadays. He's a complete novice with this whole love thing with Sakura and Shisui gladly offered his help.

Sakura, she's been in the center of his mind lately. He didn't really remember what pushed him to initiate the kiss two weeks ago. But she returned the kiss so that meant that the feeling is mutual, right?

"Well, it seems everything is going smoothly between the two of you" Shishui commented after Itachi told him about what happened at the Fireworks Festival.

Itachi just nodded thoughtfully. It felt a little awkward at first but as they days passed, he and Sakura came to accept the fact that they are attracted to each other. Though they rarely saw each other for the past week because of her training with the Hokage and his Anbu missions, thoughts of each other barely left their mind at all.

"I know this might seem out of the blue, but have you considered courting her?" asked Shisui suddenly

Itachi thought about it for a moment. Yes, courting her seems to be the next step if he wants to be in a formal relationship with her. And as the next head of the clan, he must find a suitable candidate soon, if he doesn't want the clan to take the matter into their own hands.

"It is still early days" came his short reply

"Yeah, no need to rush things"

Then silence befell between the two Uchihas. Itachi was stealing glances at his cousin, noticing how his face will brighten up when the topic of the conversation turns to his wife. He seems to be the happiest man alive when talking about her. Hana really changed him for the better.

Inwardly, he wondered if he'll be like that someday.

* * *

Sakura fought the urge to blush as she was seated across Itachi, eating his home-cooked meal of steamed fish with vegetables and miso soup. Two months have passed since that unforgettable night at the fireworks festival and that _thing _between them is progressing quite smoothly. The thought of engaging in a relationship crossed her mind once, but it's still too early to think about that. What they have for each other for now is mutual understanding, she always told herself.

"So…" she started as she swallowed the food in her mouth "what are your plans for your birthday?"

"Nothing" he replied flatly. He never really cared about his birthday that much. But due to him being the next heir of the Uchiha clan, there's always a social gathering in celebration of his birthday.

Sakura just stared at him, he seemed rather reluctant to talk about it. Deciding not to press the topic further, she thought of other things to talk about.

"How was your genjutsu training?" he asked suddenly. He remembered her mentioning that Kakashi told them that they were lacking in that area.

Happy that he was the one who changed the topic, she replied "Well, it's true that we're not really proficient when it comes to genjutsu, mostly Naruto and I. Sasuke was the only one who managed to get through Kakashi-sensei's illusions, with his sharingan of course"

"Hn"

"Anyway, how was your missions? It's been a while since I joined your team"

"Everything is fine. Shiranui and Aburame know better than to get injured without a medic"

Sakura let out a soft chuckle at the thought of how much Genma must be suffering without her. He might have not noticed but she was already aware of his tricks. Oftentimes he gets himself injured intentionally so that she'll have to heal him. Most of the time it was on his ribs or torso, so that she can see his toned muscles. Itachi was obviously not pleased but does nothing in order to stop it despite him being the team captain, or so she thought. Itachi has his own way of reprimanding his subordinates, most of them are mental.

Itachi just watched her as she munched on her food happily. Eight years ago, she had drastically changed the course of his life without her knowing it.

And she still does.

Because of that simple yet intimate contact two months prior, it brought certain emotions that he never felt before. He found himself more attached to her than before, physically and mentally. It's problematic sometimes, especially when they're on a mission. But he knew that he can't completely disregard her in the back of his mind.

Then the silent scrapping of the chair on the floor brought him out of his contemplation. Sakura stood up from her chair, having finished her dinner, and picked up the dirty dishes.

"I'll wash the dishes" she said simply as she put the dishes on the sink

"Hn"

He then went upstairs and in to his room. He flopped down on the soft bed and it only occurred to him now that staying in her house, with no one but her, seemed inappropriate. Of course, it came to his mind back then but he quickly disregarded it. They were bestfriends and there's no malice in that. But now that _things _have changed, it made him think twice about staying in her house.

He's been staying with her ever since her foster parents passed away and it bewildered him to know that no one knew about it, even her own teammates. They were not exactly hiding it, the issue just didn't bother them enough to let other people know about it.

Idly, he opened the door to the small balcony connected to the bedroom. He let the night breeze engulf him as he closed his eyes. He inhaled deeply then exhaled loudly. This is one of the reasons why he prefers to stay here. The breeze in the Uchiha Compound always seems to be denser. Perhaps, it's just him but sometimes he just can't take it anymore. Perhaps, the pressure he feels while inside the compound contributes to that.

Then he felt Sakura's presence by the door

He didn't do anything as she made her way beside him.

"Itachi?" she asked as she inclined her head towards him

He simply regarded her with his usual "Hn", not bothering to look at her

"Something's bothering you, I could tell. You can always tell me"

It took him a moment before he finally came up with an answer.

Slowly, he turned to her and tilted her chin upwards. He just stared at her sparkling emerald orbs. First, they were confused and then softened as she stare right back at his eyes.

Satisfied with her reaction, he gently breached the distance between them and met her lips in a passionate kiss. She wasn't surprised like the last time, but instead kissed him back eagerly. He wrapped his arms around her petite waist as she tangled her fingers in his hair.

Sakura closed her eyes as she savored the kiss. She felt butterflies in her stomach as Itachi deepened the kiss. She responded by allowing him entrance to her mouth. She felt totally numb to everything around her, the only thing she can see is him. The heavenly feeling she felt when they first kissed returned to her and she hoped that they can stay like this forever.

They parted a few moments later, having the need of oxygen in their lungs.

Sakura then leaned her head against his heaving chest, feeling his heart beat the same time as hers.

He laid a gentle kiss on her head as he stroke her hair.

Nothing mattered for now, not the past, not the future.

What's important is that they are together, bathing in the light of the moon.

If only they can stay like that forever…

Sadly, things just have to take a different turn.

* * *

Author's Notes: Hi there! I know that this seems shorter than the other chapters. That's because this chapter is not supposed to be on its own. It's supposed to be with the next chapter. In fact, I didn't originally plan to write this chapter at all. But I felt like there is a need to write how Itachi and Sakura's feelings for each other progressed and it turned to this. Hope you like it!

And I'm really overwhelmed with the reviews you guys wrote on the last chapter. You're the best! I hope I replied to everyone who reviewed.

Anyways, I just signed up in deviant Art. All of my works (mostly photography) can be found there. But I've just started and there isn't really much to see. Feel free to browse .com/

Please review!

BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ITACHI!

(*^o^*) Peace out! (*^o^*)

**Kaycee**


	9. Chapter 9

**Unusually**

**Chapter 9: In a very unusual way, would it just be better not to know?  
**

Sakura stared at the box Itachi held. His birthday is two days from now and as predicted, the clan will hold a social gathering.

"What's that?" she asked as she took the box from him

"A kimono. Mother requested for you to wear that on the celebration" he replied blandly, annoyance clearly written on his features. He really didn't want to have such an extravagant celebration, but the clan disobliged.

"Is it okay for me to attend? I don't even have a present yet"

"Such a thing is not necessary"

"But it's unfair! You gave me such a beautiful present on my birthday"

"Do not bother yourself" he said irritably then turned and left.

Sakura just sighed. She really wants to give him a present, a special one at that. But it's really hard to find something which Itachi will really like. He doesn't really like sweets so baking a cake, just like what they did for his mother's birthday, won't work. And besides, it's only two days before his birthday, she must come up with a decision fast.

She flopped down on the couch as she thought hard on what to give him. After about fifteen minutes, she finally decided on a gift for her bestfriend.

Surely, Tenten can give her a hand.

* * *

Sakura paced around the large halls, eager to find the birthday celebrant. She carried with her a long wooden box, her gift to Itachi. She had asked for Tenten's help to pick up a nice present for him. The brown-haired kunoichi gladly offered her help. One can always count on Tenten when it comes to weapons.

She turned to a corner and found Sasuke in the middle of a conversation with his relatives. He looked bored, well he wasn't really the talkative type. His eyes brightened when he caught sight of her, glad that he'll have a reason to escape from his relatives.

He made his way beside her and stared hard at the box she's holding.

"It's my present, stupid" she said annoyingly, wondering why he's asking the obvious

"Stop that, Sakura. You sound like an idiot, just like Naruto" he commented as he smirked at her. Sakura returned with a smirk of her own as she followed Sasuke into the main hall.

Once they were there she immediately saw Itachi, surrounded by many unfamiliar people. He held the same bored look as his brother, he certainly wasn't pleased with the attention he's getting. He wore a formal black yukata with the Uchiha crest on the back.

"You might want to hold on to that, it will take a while before Itachi can get away from all the attention" said Sasuke, gesturing to her present. Then she saw something glint from his eyes, is it pity?

"For a while there, I thought you were jealous of all the attention directed to your brother" she commented as they took a seat in a nearby chair.

"Yes but that was when I was younger. And now that I'm old enough, I know why. Being the next heir of the clan comes with great expectations and responsibilities. I'm amazed that he can do it on his own"

"Well, that's because he has people who believes in him and gives him the support that he needs. He's got you, Mikoto-chan, his team and many more" she said as she smiled at him

"And he's got you" Sasuke said as he looked into her eyes. She gave him a confused look, wondering why the conversation suddenly turned to her.

At this, Sasuke continued "I'm not oblivious to see how you interact with each other. You're the only one outside the family whom he talks to regularly"

"Where are you getting at, Sasuke?"

There was a momentary pause before he decided to ask the question which has been bugging him for a few days "What you feel for Itachi, is it just friendship or is it something deeper?"

Sakura suddenly turned her eyes away from Sasuke and just stared at her lap. It's true that what she feels for him is certainly not friendship anymore. But both of them didn't express their feelings _verbally_. But she knew from the bottom of her heart that she cares for him deeply

And then she stared at Sasuke. He's been her brother figure, along with Naruto, ever since team 7 was formed. And he is Itachi's brother. She guessed that it's only right for him to know of her feelings towards his brother. And Sasuke always stays true to his words so he won't mention it to anybody once she tells him her answer.

She eyed Sasuke with a determined look "It may sound foolish, but I think- No!" she said then straightened her composure "I know I love him, more than just friendship"

Sasuke just nodded in understanding. Although he's not an expert when it comes to love, it's obvious to the people around them that they are more than friends. It brings him back seven years ago when they were still Genins. He didn't know why but Sakura, when given the opportunity, always clings to him and goes all out for him. And looking at her now, she has really grown up into a beautiful lady. Sometimes the thought of having certain feelings for her crossed his mind. But he disregarded it quickly, their relationship is that of a brother and a sister, nothing more and nothing less.

"Is it… okay with you?" she asked nervously, discontinuing his train of thoughts.

"Sakura, I've known you since we were Genin. You are always caring and thinks of her teammates before herself. Although, the match is quite…unique, in a way, I wouldn't hand over my brother to anyone but you"

Sakura smiled brightly at Sasuke's statement. She never thought that she'll hear those words from the man whom she was so infatuated with a few years back. Back when she was still twelve, she always dreamed to be with Sasuke. But now she ended up with his older brother instead.

Now that she thought about it, Sasuke, in his own discreet way, led her to where she stands now. If it wasn't for his rejections, she might not see Itachi as he is now.

"You know what? I never thought that there will come a day when I will be grateful to you for rejecting me back then when were still in Genin" she commented as she smiled half-heartedly

Sasuke just smirked at her then silence fell upon them. Sakura just watched as people after people came to Itachi and have a little chat with the impassive celebrant. She was actually glad that Sasuke didn't dwell deeper on the earlier conversation. She and Itachi are happy to be with each other, even if they don't express it verbally.

It was half an hour later when Itachi finally was able to get away from all the people who came to talk to him. It's just his 25th birthday so what's with the whole occasion?

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sakura sitting in the corner alone. Sasuke already left to entertain some guests. Deciding to get some sanity back to his mind, he approached her.

"Happy Birthday, Itachi!" she greeted whole heartedly as she gave a heart-warming smile and extended her present to him.

He regarded her with one of his rarest smiles as he took the wooden box from her. He stared at it curiously, already having an idea as to what the box holds.

"Open it!" she said enthusiastically as she clapped both of her hands

And without further ado, he opened the box and lifted his present so that he can have a closer look. His eyes betrayed his emotions as he stared at the mesmerizing katana.

"That's the only one of its kind" she said as she gave a big smile, obviously proud of herself. Although the practical part of her is dying a slow death after spending almost half of her savings just for that katana.

"The craftsmanship is excellent" he commented as he unsheathed the katana and run his index finger on the blade, causing droplets of blood to come out.

She grabbed his bleeding finger and soon green healing chakra emerged from her open palm "I asked Tenten two nights ago to take me to her trusty blacksmith. She willingly accepted and thankfully, it's within Fire country"

Itachi just stared at the katana he's currently holding as Sakura babble out the details about her trip to the blacksmith. A katana is not really his weapon of choice. He somehow finds it quite problematic to carry a sword when travelling since he doesn't want to startle the civilians.

But it seems that he has to get used to the katana now…

"Thank you" he murmured as he his eyes met hers.

Sakura just smiled a heart-warming smile in return. She knew from experience that Uchiha Itachi is hard to please, she was glad that she made him happy on his birthday.

All of a sudden another Uchiha approached them and whispered something to Itachi. Itachi's face held its impassive look although Sakura could tell that he was quite irritated by the twitching of his right eye. Then he excused himself and followed his relative, leaving Sakura on her own again.

A few moments later a clan elder stood at the center followed by Uchiha Fugaku and Itachi, effectively getting the attention of everyone present.

"We have gathered here to celebrate the 25th birthday of the heir and pride of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Itachi" the elder paused as he stole a glance at the young man in question. Itachi just glared right back at him.

"It is customary for the head of the Uchiha clan to be married by the age of 25. But since our Itachi is preoccupied with his work as a shinobi of Konoha, he hardly had time to attend gatherings and socialize"

Itachi already had a bad feeling about this. The elders took matters into their own hands without his consent, again. He was very much far from pleased at this, considering his affection towards Sakura.

"And so we, the Uchiha clan elders, took the liberty of finding a woman worthy of being the Uchiha clan leader's wife" declared the elder proudly as a woman with long and silky black hair, clad in a formal green kimono, emerged from the crowd and into the center.

"This is Lady Atsumi, Uchiha Itachi's bride-to-be"

Then everyone applauded.

Sakura simply stood there, shocked to the core. The people's applause didn't reach her ears, all she can hear is her heart slowly being ripped to pieces. From all the injuries she sustained, this seems to be the most painful, although there were no blood, no broken bones and whatsoever. She felt like she was being stabbed in the heart endlessly.

The stinging of her eyes brought her back to where she stood and she realized that tears were falling from them like a waterfall. She then let her feet lead her away, away from the crowd, and especially away from Itachi.

* * *

Itachi felt like he was the lowest man to ever walk the face of the earth upon seeing Sakura's tear-stained face. She was crying, suffering all because of him and what hurts the most is that he can't do anything to make her feel better.

Suddenly, Atsumi reached out and held his hand in hers, effectively distracting him from his thoughts. On instinct, he threw her hand away and looked back to the crowd.

Sakura was no longer there.

Hurriedly, he left, leaving a bewildered supposed fiancée behind.

He must find Sakura and explain everything to her.

* * *

Sakura panted as she leaned her back on the bark of the tree. She had let her feet take her to this place. She didn't really know why but all she could think of earlier was to get away from that place as soon as possible.

Her senses told her that a group of ladies were approaching but she relaxed upon knowing that they were ordinary civilians. She let herself be hidden as she waited for the ladies to go.

"I can't believe Master Itachi is getting married soon!"

"And his bride-to-be is Lady Atsumi. I heard that she's from a prominent clan in the Wind Country"

"Well, he _is_ the next leader of the Uchiha clan, I'm sure the elders won't just take an ordinary girl to be Master Itachi's wife"

"Yeah, Master Itachi is special, it's only right for him to have a wife of equal standards"

The conversation went on and on as the ladies left to go back to the party, not knowing that what they said had a great impact on the lady hidden behind the tree.

Sakura tried to hold back the tears as the words kept ringing in her mind.

Yes, they were right

She was so stupid to think that she, an ordinary girl from an ordinary family, can have a future with the Uchiha clan's next heir.

They might be attracted to each other, but the fact remains that she doesn't deserve someone like Itachi. She holds nothing special for the elders to approve of her.

She should've just held her feelings to herself. She should've just treated Itachi like what she did for the past years, a friend. Tsunade was right, bestfriends aren't meant to be lovers. There was no exception to that.

Deciding that there was no point for her to be there, she walked away from the Uchiha Compound.

She was near the gates of the compound when she saw the familiar figure of her teammate, Sasuke. He may look unemotional but years of being with him told her otherwise.

"Sakura" he called out with worry in his eyes that only Sakura could see.

"It's okay, Sasuke. I'm alright" she replied as she concealed the pain in her heart.

"Let me walk you home" he offered as he gave her the look.

Sakura merely nodded, knowing that there's no room for arguments.

They walked in comfortable silence, each on their own train of thoughts. Sakura might be doing a good job of hiding it but years of experience thought him how to read her. Sadly, all he can do for her is to support her. He knew Itachi has nothing to do with the sudden engagement and he's sure that Sakura knows of this too.

And before the two of them know it, they were in front of her house.

"Thanks for accompanying me, Sasuke" she said as she flashed a smile, a smile that both of them knew was a forced one.

She was about to turn and unlock the front door when Sasuke called out to her

"Sakura, please don't overthink things"

And with that, he was gone.

* * *

Itachi scanned his surroundings in an attempt to locate Sakura. She just ran off after hearing the announcement. He didn't plan this, the clan elders did. And it sickened him that his father knew about it but did nothing of any sorts to tell him.

But he should have seen this coming. It was the deal after all. In order for Shisui to be free from the marriage the clan elders arranged for him, Itachi proposed a deal with them. And that is for him to be married by the age of 25 to a woman of their choice.

"Niisan"

Itachi turned around and saw the familiar face of his younger brother

"Sasuke" he greeted in return

"Sakura, she already left"

And the next thing Sasuke knew was his older brother disappearing in a flash.

* * *

Sakura laid sprawled on her bed, staring at the blank ceiling with a tear-stained face. She knew that what happened earlier is not Itachi's fault, he was just as shocked as she was. She just hated the fact that that nameless thing they have for each other won't work out after all because of their family's reputation. Itachi is the next heir of one of the most prestigious clans in Konoha and she is the daughter of a deceased drug lord. Even if they truly love each other, the clan elders just won't approve of her.

Or maybe, this is not love at all. Perhaps, the feelings she has for him is simply infatuation. Certain circumstances just brought her to the wrong conclusion. And now she's paying the price.

But they kissed, not just once but twice!

Did it mean anything at all or is it just because of the heat of the moment?

She let out a frustrated cry as she hugged her pillow closer, tears filling up her eyes. Tsunade was right all along, best friends cannot be lovers and there was no exception to that. She was so foolish to even think that that thing between her and Itachi will work out.

Then something hit her, hard.

Itachi has not said anything to express his feelings towards her. Yes, he might have expressed it through his actions but verbally, he did not. Perhaps, he was just unsure as she was. She should've told him she loves him when she had the chance

_If I told you_

_All the words I've yet to say_

_Would they matter_

_Or would you simply turn and walk away?_

_If I hold you_

_Will you tell me I should go?_

_Do I chance it?_

_Or would it just be better not to know?_

_

* * *

_

Itachi stood outside underneath Sakura's window. He left the party the moment Sasuke told him that she is back in her house. But now, he just doesn't know what to say to her.

She has been a very important person in his life lately and he finally came to realize that he's attracted to her and he was sure that the feeling is mutual too. Yet, why do things have to be this way?

The stiffen sounds he heard indicated that she was forcing herself not to cry. Then the memory of seeing Sakura with eyes filled with tears surfaced in his mind. He had seen her cry a lot for the past years so why did he felt so bad when she cried earlier? Perhaps, it's because he was the one who was responsible for those tears, although indirectly.

He deeply regretted making her cry

She was hurting so much because of him and he can't do anything to make her feel better

It's true that he cares for her deeply, maybe more than a friend does. But he still hasn't said his true intentions to her. He still hasn't said those three words which will change the way they look at each other.

_If I told you_

_All the words I've yet to say_

_Would they matter_

_Or would you simply turn and walk away?_

_If I hold you_

_Will you tell me I should go?_

_Do I chance it?_

_Or would it just be better not to know?_

Perhaps, it's better for them to be just friends. He couldn't bear to see her cry again because of him. The relationship he's hoping to have with her will just end up with him hurting her further.

And with that Uchiha Itachi arrived at his decision

Yes, it's better for her not to know…

* * *

Sakura stared at the moon through her window, not knowing that a certain person was there just seconds ago. If this is what they call heartache, it surely hurts a lot.

And all that was to blame was her.

Yes, because she believed that she has a future with the next heir of the Uchiha clan. Yes, because she expected too much.

And yes, because she never told him how she felt when she had the chance.

Perhaps, he simply wasn't fated to be with a lady like her who doesn't have anything special. Perhaps this is God's way of saying that they are not meant for each other.

But maybe things will take a different turn once she tells him of her feelings towards him

No, she'll just end up hurting herself and Itachi

Then it's better for him not to know…

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Hi there! I'm sorry I wasn't able to update sooner, school activities always keep me busy, especially thesis and theatre play production.

This chapter is inspired by the song "If I told you" from the musical "The Wedding Singer"

Thanks for all who reviewed! You guys inspire me more to write!

And sorry if this is short

Please tell me your reactions by reviewing! I'll be waiting for them!

(*^o^*) Peace out! (*^o^*)

**Kaycee**


	10. Chapter 10

**Unusually**

**Chapter 10: In a very unusual way, I came to realize that…**

Sakura sighed as she stared at herself on the mirror. It's been a week since the announcement of Itachi and his bride-to-be's engagement and they haven't seen each other since then. The last thing she heard was that he and his Anbu team went on a mission the day after the engagement and haven't returned yet. According to her shishou, the mission was a sudden one and his team was the best choice for the said mission but she knew Itachi so well to know that he accepted it not only because of its emergency but also because he wants to be as far away as possible from his clan for the time being.

But she has to admit that her heart still aches at the memories of their time together. When he comes back from a mission and goes straight to her house, when he would fetch her from the hospital and carry her on his back, when she would go out with his team on a mission, when he saved her life on that fateful day eight years ago, when they shared their first kiss and when he smiled at her lovingly, a smile that was meant for her and only for her.

The watery feeling in her eyes jolted her back to reality and she stared at her reflection in the mirror to know that she is crying. She quickly wiped away the tears, she already cried for him once and she promised herself that she will never do that again.

After making sure that she has already calmed down she descended down the stairs and left the house for the morning training with her team.

* * *

Sasuke and Naruto were already at the training grounds when Sakura got there, each staring at her in a concerned manner. The news about Itachi's engagement spread like wildfire throughout the whole village and since then people were acting sympathetic towards her. Ino even barged on her house without knocking and demanded her to tell what happened. Gladly, Ino was there listening as she poured her heart out.

"Good morning!" she greeted cheerfully as she set herself on a boulder. Sasuke and Naruto greeted back as they wait for their usually late sensei. The training ground they were in now would have been peaceful and quiet if not for Naruto's continuous whines about Kakashi being late and Sasuke regarding him with his favorite namecall for the said teammate and things would go rough from then on. They have been doing that routine ever since Team 7 was formed and it never ceases to amuse her.

Sadly, her amusement was interrupted when their late sensei appeared in a puff of smoke.

"Yo"

"You're late again!" yelled Sakura and Naruto as they point an accusing finger at him, Sasuke just gave him a hard glare

Kakashi just laughed nervously in return, their childish antics never fail to amuse him.

"Anyway, what are we going to do today?" asked Sakura

"Today we're going to…" Kakashi stopped in his tracks when he saw a brown hawk flying in a circular motion in the sky

"Hey, what's that?" asked Naruto as he pointed his finger on the flying hawk

"We'll train later. Tsunade-sama wishes to see us"

* * *

Team 7, together with all the other Jounin teams, stood in front of the Hokage in the roof deck of the Hokage tower. Whatever the Godaime has to say, they were sure it's a serious matter.

"We've heard news that Orochimaru is planning to take over Konoha, again. For that, he has taken over little villages and developed his army there. Jiraiya also mentioned Akatsuki being a part of it. But they had a dispute that led to Orochimaru trying to kill one of their members. And because of that, Akatsuki backed down on his plan and brought severe damage to his army, delaying his plan of attacking our village"

Tsunade paused for a bit as she stared at them

"Uchiha Itachi 's Anbu squad is on the lookout in their hideout for a week now and they haven't reported anything out of the ordinary. But that doesn't mean that we can just sit and relax. We'll strengthen Konoha's defense, prepare the emergency procedures for the civilians, and always have a watchful eye for the enemy. If there are no questions, you're dismissed"

The jounins bowed in respect to the female Hokage before leaving the Hokage tower. And as for team7, they went back to the training grounds.

"Damn that Orochimaru! He still plans to take over Konoha after we kicked his butt years ago!" yelled Naruto as they reached the training grounds.

"I'm sure he has gotten stronger since then" said Sasuke as he remembered what Orochimaru did in the Chuunin exams years ago.

"That's why I'm putting you three under special training starting today" said Kakashi with seriousness in his voice.

Naruto squealed in delight, Sasuke just 'hn'ed and gave a little smirk. Sakura just smiled, happy that she'll have this training as a distraction to keep Itachi out of her mind.

* * *

_A few days later…_

The moon's vast light shone upon the three Konoha shinobi as they entered the large gates of their village. Uchiha Itachi and his Anbu squad has been on patrol duty on Orochimaru's hideout for more than a week now and the Godaime Hokage decided for them to return to the village and send an Anbu squad in their place.

"Home sweet home" commented Genma as he pulled down his mask and inhaled the fresh night breeze. Itachi then turned his head and gave them a curt nod, a gesture which indicated that the mission is over and they are free to return to their homes. Genma and Shino bowed in return then went their separate ways.

Itachi removed his mask as he slowly made his way to the Uchiha Compound. He wasn't really looking forward to it but he guessed he can't run away from it any longer. Being the next heir to the clan has certain responsibilities and that includes finding a suitable bride-to-be. If he willed it, he can just runaway and be free from all the responsibility. But then Sasuke will have to bear all the responsibilities and he doesn't want for that to happen to his younger brother.

And there's this matter with Sakura. He hasn't spoken to her since that incident and he still doesn't know what to say to her given the chance that they might stumble upon each other. But he guessed that it's better off that way before the both of them got hurt any further.

Not mindful of the slow journey, he looked up and saw the gates of their compound. Their latest mission provided him time to prepare for what the elders might say.

And now is the time to face them.

* * *

Sakura walked merrily through the busy streets of Konoha after helping out Tsunade with her paperwork. Some people might think that she's happy from the way she smiles and waves at the citizens but for the people who are close to her, they only see loneliness in the façade of this young kunoichi.

She already heard the news about Itachi's return and thankfully, they haven't seen each other yet. Perhaps, it's better off that way. He's going to get married soon and she doesn't want to ruin his relationship with his future bride.

"Sakura!"

The pink-haired kunoichi turned to find the source of the voice and saw the five-month pregnant Kurenai at the dango shop.

"Kurenai-sensei! How are things going?" she asked as she entered the shop and took a seat across from the pregnant jounin.

"Everything's going great. I have this hunch that it will be a girl this time" said Kurenai as she caressed her tummy softly.

"That's lovely! I'm sure that the delivery won't be hard, it's already your second child" said Sakura as she remembered helping out with Kurenai's delivery to her and Asuma's first child, Misato.

"I hope so. All I want is a safe delivery and a healthy baby" said Kurenai as she remembered the pain she suffered in giving birth to Misato. But all of the pain was quickly swept away when she saw her and Asuma's baby.

"Anyway, why are you eating here alone? Where are Asuma and Misato?"

"They're at the playground. Ever since Misato came to our lives, Asuma has lessened his cigarette smoking and always finds time to spend with our son. He brought so much happiness in to our lives"

Sakura just smiled at the older woman in return.

"Speaking of happiness, why are you depriving yourself with it?" suddenly asked Kurenai

Sakura just stared down at the table. So she's really that easy to read, huh?

Taking note that the young kunoichi was uneasy about the sudden change of topic, Kurenai continued "There was a time when I nearly lost Asuma to another woman…"

Sakura looked up in return and with that Kurenai continued on with her story

"Asuma was famous not only because of his skills as a shinobi but also because he's the son of the Sandaime. There was a time when Asuma was arranged to marry a woman from a village in the wind country to strengthen the bond between the two villages. And by that time I knew from the bottom of my heart that he is a very special person to me. Asuma came to realize that as well so we fought together to stop the marriage. It wasn't an easy battle, there was even a point when I want to give up. But Asuma was there to support me. And we won the battle together and are living happily with our new family"

Kurenai then held Sakura's smaller hands in her own

"Sakura, even though you weren't my student, I care for you. I want you to experience the happiness of loving someone and being loved in return"

"But it's better off that way…"

"If that's true, then why are you crying?"

And that was when Sakura realized that she is indeed crying. Crying not for Itachi but for her pitiful self.

"I… I just don't know what to do anymore" she let the tears fall, not caring anymore if anyone sees her crying like this. Thankfully, the only customers in the dango shop are her and Kurenai.

The older woman just sat there and said soothing words as the younger let her emotions out. Ever since the news about Itachi's engagement to another woman broke out, she knew immediately that she has to talk to Sakura. Many people made the wrong decisions because they were misguided and she doesn't want that to happen to this troubled kunoichi weeping in front of her.

It took a long while before Sakura finally calmed down.

"Sakura, I want you to be happy. Ask yourself what you really want, what will make you feel happy and complete. And it will bring you to the right path"

* * *

Uchiha Fugaku entered the clearing where he and his eldest son Itachi used to train years ago. It's amazing how time flies, he thought. Back then, Itachi was just little and training with him but now his eldest son has surpassed him and will soon be proclaimed as the Uchiha clan leader. He is really proud of his two sons, especially Itachi. Itachi showed exceptional skill as a shinobi when he was still young so he focused on bringing out the shinobi in his son. What he failed to notice was that because of his strictness, his relationship with Itachi as father and son slowly started to wither.

Perhaps, it's because he was raised the same way by his father. But that doesn't mean that he has to be the same with his son. It's not too late yet, maybe he can still make it up to his eldest son.

"Father"

He turned on his back and saw Itachi. He always knew that Itachi still goes here to train and just unwind.

"Itachi"

Awkward silence fell upon them after that. Knowing that nothing productive will happen if this will keep on going, Fugaku decided to be the one to start the conversation.

"Time surely has passed, hasn't it Itachi? I can still remember the days when we used to train here when you were still little"

Itachi just stared at his father in return, not knowing how to respond. What is he trying to say?

"Hn"

"And now you've grown up to be a very fine young man and an excellent shinobi. And in just a matter of time, you will be the head of the Uchiha clan" he then turned around to face his son

"All I want to say is that I'm very proud of you, my son"

Itachi just stared back in his father, unreadable surprise written on his face. Is his father under a genjutsu? No, his father is a strong shinobi so there must be no trickery.

And for the first time in a very long time, Itachi was left speechless

Fugaku wasn't surprised at seeing Itachi's reaction. It's not everyday that your father tells you how proud he is to have a son like you. Taking advantage of the silence between them, Fugaku led his son to a nearby log and sat on it, just like years ago when they were taking their break after long hours of training.

"Itachi, I've seen you grow up so you can't easily hide things from me. I know that you and Haruno Sakura share mutual feelings for each other"

"Hn"

"Yet, why do you distance yourself from her knowing that there is an attraction between the two of you?"

"It is better off that way"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes… And besides" Itachi then turned to face his father eye to eye

"The clan won't approve of her"

Suddenly a smirk appeared on Fugaku's slightly wrinkled face. Itachi then knew that they have other plans in store for him.

"Do you think so?"

"You have made me believe that females belonging to prominent clans are the only ones I can engage myself with"

"I suppose that's true. However…"

There was a momentary pause before Fugaku continued

"I told you before that you can't easily hide things from me. I may not be saying anything about Sakura Haruno but I'm not oblivious to notice that you spend most of your time with her. It's true that she came from an average family but a certain qualification caught my attention"

Itachi just gawked at his father. What is he trying to say?

"She is the Godaime Hokage's apprentice, is she not?"

Then realization hit Itachi like a bucket of ice cold water. He was so stupid to only realize it now.

"Then the engagement…"

"The clan was tired of waiting so we arranged an engagement. I also thought that it would push you in the right direction"

Fugaku had not to say anymore because in a blink of an eye, Itachi was out of sight.

* * *

Sakura's steps came to a halt as she reached the little bridge, the very same bridge where she and Itachi shared their first kiss. She leaned over the railing and stared at her reflection on the water. The conversation she had with Kurenai a few days ago still rings in her mind.

What does she really want?

She's not too foolish to not wish for her own happiness. But said happiness meant that Itachi has to go against his clan and she doesn't want to be the reason for the dispute between Itachi and the clan elders.

But there's only one person who can make her feel happy and complete, and that's Itachi.

"Sakura"

She suddenly froze in her spot. She doesn't have to turn around to see who called her. But why now?

"Sakura, please talk to me"

And then she knew there and then that she can't live without him.

Gradually, she spun around with unshed tears emerging from her eyes.

Itachi didn't like the sight before him. Sakura was crying and it's all because of him. It brought him back to the party where he saw her crying. He knew that she was hurting and it's because of him.

And so, he wrapped his arms around her protectively, a thing that he failed to do at the party. And then he swore that never again will he be the reason for those tears. There's nothing more painful than to see her suffering.

"Sakura, I'm sorry"

At that, Sakura looked up to see his face. His eyes shone with sincerity and love, telling her how sorry he is for bringing this pain to her.

"You're forgiven" she said as she smiled at him, the tears of suffering now replaced with those of joy.

"I love you"

"I love you too"

And then their lips met in a kiss full of longing and passion.

Sakura closed her eyes as she cherished the kiss she's sharing now with Itachi. It's amazing how Itachi can replace all her sorrow into happiness with just one kiss. She felt the fluttery feeling she always feels whenever she shares an intimate moment with him.

Never before has Itachi felt this overwhelming feeling of joy within him. Sakura brought all of that in to him. Her lips tasted like vanilla, just like in their first kiss.

Then they parted for the much needed air. Finally, they were able to resolve the misunderstanding and be happy in each other's arms again. And with the clan issue resolved, which Itachi has yet to tell Sakura, there is nothing standing in their way.

All of a sudden, a loud explosion roared in the sky and large snakes appeared, ready to wreak havoc in the Hidden Leaf Village.

* * *

Author's Notes: Hi there! Sorry for the long wait! As always, school activities have kept me from writing but everything is going great now.

Some things you might want to know:

*I know it's unusual for Fugaku to be like that. He was the antagonist type in most of the fanfictions that I have read here. But for once, I want him to be the caring father and give tips about love to Itachi. All fathers are like that, appearing to be tough but goes soft when you have a one-on-one conversation hehehe… XD

*The one who was supposed to talk to Sakura was Tsunade. But she already had a talk with Sakura about love in the previous chapters so I decided for it to be Kurenai.

*Asuma obviously didn't die here

*I know what Kurenai told Sakura (her and Asuma's love story) is somewhat cheesy hehehe… Please bear with it…

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

Thanks for those who reviewed! You guys rock!

I hope I replied to all of you who reviewed!

See you in the next chapters! XD

(*^o^*) Peace out! (*^o^*)

**Kaycee**


	11. Chapter 11

**Unusually**

**Chapter 11: In a very unusual way, this is the kind of world we live in**

A loud explosion roared throughout the whole village of Konoha as large snakes appeared, ready to wreak havoc and destruction to the village.

It didn't take another second before Itachi and Sakura went to their specified location. Luckily, Tsunade saw this coming and briefed them about their post should Orochimaru attack again.

Although parting right after patching up things with each other is hurtful, it's their obligation as proud shinobis ok Konoha to protect their beloved village and its people at all costs.

"I'm posted at the North Gate" said Itachi as they leapt through the roofs of Konoha

"I'm posted there too. Let's hurry!" replied Sakura as they sped up more to get to their location.

A few Konoha nins were already injured when they got there but thankfully the injuries were not fatal. Sakura hurriedly went to her medic mode and healed the injured shinobis while Itachi went to exterminate the two large snakes which appeared outside the gate before it causes destruction.

The battle was not that extreme and it only took a couple of minutes for them to eliminate the snakes and the sound nins at the North Gate. Only a few were injured, to whom Sakura immediately tended, and there were no casualties in their side, thanks to Itachi and a handful of Konoha nins.

Suddenly an Anbu wearing a wolf mask appeared

"Sakura-san, Tsunade-sama requests for your assistance in the hospital"

Sakura nodded in response, most of the medics were on the field and only a few were left in the hospital. And Shizune, who was supposed to take over the hospital if this happening occurs, is on a special mission.

"I'll escort you there"

She turned and saw Itachi's usual stoic expression. But there's something else behind that expression, something that only Sakura has the privilege to see.

She slowly nodded her head and together, she and Itachi made their way to the hospital.

* * *

"Take care, Sakura" said Itachi as he gave her hand a little squeeze

"Of course" she replied as she smiled at the man in front of her and then gave him a kiss on the cheek. It may seem unsuitable to be like that given the condition the village is in right now but Itachi seemed to be on edge about leaving her on her own, even if it is within the confines of the hospital.

Itachi doesn't know what's happening inside of him. He doesn't know why but he felt like something bad will happen to Sakura if he's not there to protect her. But he's one of the few people who really know how strong she came to be, he should give her utmost trust. Maybe it's just the overprotective side of him that's taking over.

Deciding that overthinking things will get him nowhere, he disappeared in a flash, leaving Sakura to do her job in the hospital.

The hospital was a mess when Sakura entered. Injured people kept on coming in and the medics were rushing back and forth and tending to the injured.

"SAKURA-SAN!" a male medic yelled as he ran towards her

"WE NEED YOUR HELP! We're at a loss on what to do now. There are only a few of us medics and the patients keep on coming in. Please, we need you to take command over the hospital!"

It didn't take another second for Sakura to accept his request. Although she lacks some leadership skills, there's no one else who could do it.

"Separate the patients by the degree of their injury. Tell Hanako to prepare the antidote for snake poison. Call all the medics and let's get to business"

* * *

Itachi sprinted through Konoha's empty streets, the villagers were already evacuated. The village has been preparing for this attack, that's why he and his team were sent on a surveillance mission a few days ago outside Orochimaru's hideout. But knowing Orochimaru, he has a lot of wicked tricks up his sleeves.

Then realization hit him, hard. Orochimaru has set his eyes on Sasuke, ever since he participated in the Chuunin Exams a few years back. Invading Konoha is probably just his lame excuse for the attack and his main objective is to get Sasuke, since he failed to get Itachi years ago.

So with that thought in mind, he sprinted to the direction where he felt Sasuke's chakra signature.

* * *

Kakashi, Sasuke and Naruto were waiting in their usual waiting place for Sakura. Tsunade asked for her assistance earlier and Kakashi thankfully decided to be early this time for their training. Everything was peaceful that day, the sun was shining brightly and the villagers were up and doing their usual tasks.

Suddenly, a loud explosion was heard.

"WHAT WAS THAT!" asked Naruto as he turned and saw the smoke from the explosion

Sasuke, being the quiet type that he is, just stared at the smoke too

"Orochimaru probably executed his plan to take over the village already" said Kakashi in a serious tone, mentally preparing himself for what's to come.

Then they went to their post in lightning speed. Sadly, Sakura's post was different from the three of them, despite them being a team, because of the shortage on field medics.

An army of sound shinobis and those which came from small villages greeted them upon arriving at the East Gate. It probably took plenty of time for Orochimaru to plan this attack judging from the size of his army. The explosion left a couple of Konoha nins injured and thankfully no casualties.

Kakashi glanced at his raven-haired student, remembering what happened in the Chuunin exam years ago. He tried to nullify the cursed seal Orochimaru gave Sasuke but knowing Orochimaru, he'll never give up that easily. It's probably the time for him to move to another body and he really wants Sasuke to be his container.

The battle began when the enemies started forming hand seals

"Tajuu kage bunshin no jutsu!"

"Sharingan!"

"Raikiri!"

* * *

Itachi stared back at his opponent, sharingan already activated. He had found this guy engaging in a fight with three chuunins, there were actually five of them but he had already eliminated the two when Itachi got there. Itachi told the three chuunins to flee, and they did just that. It seems that Sasuke has to hold his own for a while…

His opponent has an unusual appearance, he has a very light complexion that matches his silvery white hair, has two red dots above his eyebrows and his face shows no emotion at all.

"Uchiha Itachi, are you not?"

Silence met his question as Itachi just stared back at his opponent. He doesn't have any obligation to answer such a question coming from the enemy.

"You should have accepted Lord Orochimaru's offer to become his container. Don't you know how privileged you are to receive such an offer from Lord Orochimaru?"

"I do not intend to be a play toy" Itachi replied as he unsheathed his katana, the katana that Sakura gave him for his birthday, not breaking eye contact with his opponent.

"That's barbaric! You'll regret your decision one day!"

"Who are you and what is your intention for attacking our village?"

"My name is Kimimaro and I will help Lord Orochimaru take over Konoha!" Kimimaro said as a small white scythe appeared on his arm.

Itachi just stared right back at his opponent, he had heard about this bloodline limit before. It's a bloodline limit that only those belonging to the Kaguya clan possess. It allows the user to manipulate his own skeletal structure as a means of combat.

Kimimaro lunged forward and their weapons met. Despite the katana not really his weapon of expertise, Itachi can wield it skillfully.

They exchanged a few blows and Kimimaro proved to be a worthy opponent. Most of his techniques are close-range and he has perplexing taijutsu moves and can rival the taijutsu expert of Konoha, Maito Gai.

The battle went on and on with no one gaining the upper hand. Both of them haven't sustained any injury so far but Itachi noticed that as the minutes passed by Kimimaro's breathing became shallow and ragged. He saw an opening when Kimimaro was catching his breath after almost fifteen minutes of battle and quickly developed a plan to finally put an end to this battle.

"Tsukuyomi"

Kimimaro just stood there as Itachi sent him to the world of Tsukuyomi. Seconds passed but for Kimimaro it was days and days of torture. Itachi would have preferred to fight him without using the techniques of his sharingan but he can't help but be worried about Sasuke knowing that Orochimaru will do anything just to get him.

Kimimaro lay unconscious on the ground when Itachi's technique wore off. Itachi didn't even spare him a final glance and sprinted off to find Sasuke.

"Where are you going? The fight is not over yet" said Kimimaro as he suddenly appeared in front of Itachi, who in return, gave him a bewildered stare. No one has ever stayed conscious for too long after experiencing Tsukuyomi. Yet, there he is, still willing to fight. Of course the damage was critical, but not enough to bring this shinobi down.

Suddenly the tattoo on Kimimaro's chest started glowing. He screamed in pain as it engulfed his whole body, turning his originally pale skin to a light brown complexion and making bones stick out from his back. Itachi supposed it's because of the cursed seal.

Itachi took a few steps back as he felt Kimimaro's chakra flare up as a result of the cursed seal. Another explosion was heard but Itachi didn't have time to look and see where it came from for Kimimaro lunged towards him with great force.

Their bodies connected and Itachi was sent flying in the sky and landed hard on his back, before he turned into a log. Kimimaro grumbled in annoyance as he jumped out of the way of Itachi's fire ball technique.

Kimimaro produced a spear-shaped bone and threw it towards Itachi, with an explosion tag in it. Itachi quickly did a substitution jutsu and appeared behind Kimimaro and did another fire ball technique. Kimimaro, who was pissed at not hitting Itachi, didn't realize his incoming attack and got his back burned.

He screamed in rage as blood trickled down his jaw. Itachi then decided that he's had enough and must eliminate his opponent now before Orochimaru gets his hands on his brother.

It seems that he has to use _that _technique, which he had not used for a very long time, again. Sakura warned him about its effects, specifically on his eyes. She said to only use it when absolutely necessary and her terms fit the situation he is in now. Well, he just has to prepare for her scolding later.

"Amaterasu"

Jet-black flame surfaced as Kimimaro lay there, coughing continuously as he vomit out blood, ready to be engulfed in Amaterasu's flames.

Itachi leaned on the bark of a tree, his breath ragged and his eyes bleeding because of the strain of using Amaterasu. It's only a matter of time before Kimimaro succumbs to the flames. Either that or his illness will be the cause of his death.

And with that Itachi glanced at his enemy's dying form for the last time and left to find Sasuke.

* * *

"Sakura-san, there's a shinobi in section A who is suffering severe bleeding" said a medic named Sumire as Sakura tended to an elderly woman.

"I'll get to it right away" she replied then smiled at her patient after treating her injury

"Thank you, miss" said the woman as she rubbed Sakura's hands, the same hands she used to heal her earlier.

"Don't mention it" said Sakura gratefully then stood up and left to go to her next patient. The patients keep on coming but thankfully nothing too serious has occurred, only minor injuries. She guessed that the field medics healed the worse injuries already.

"What happened?" she asked the medic in charge as she put her glowing hands above the wound and at the same time inspecting it.

"He was hit by a sharp object. It doesn't seem to be a shuriken, kunai or katana though"

Sakura nodded, the wound was too small for it to be done by a kunai, katana or shuriken. But it was sharp and it seems that the weapon was used with chakra as enhancement, giving cause for the severe bleeding.

Just then the patient started shaking rapidly, it seems that he was poisoned too!

"Antidote! I need antidote!" she yelled as she applied more healing chakra to his wound. The bleeding won't stop and the poison is only making it worse.

The medic quickly handed her the syringe with the antidote and she immediately injected it to the patient. At this point, there's a possibility of him dying.

Then Sakura noticed something strange. His chakra circulatory system is not working properly, it seems that the one who attacked him disrupted his chakra flow. Only medics can do that and those belonging to the Hyuuga Clan. But the Hyuuga Clan won't do that, so the one who did it should have been a medic from the Sound.

The patient started screaming in pain while shaking uncontrollably. The medics rushed in and held the patient down while Sakura applied more chakra to stop the bleeding and heal the wound. The poison, aside from harming, seems to disrupt the healing process. It rejects her healing chakra and it seems that there's no other outcome than death for this shinobi.

Still not losing hope, Sakura tried her hardest and kept on applying healing chakra, hoping against hope that he'll survive. She made an oath to herself when she became a medic that she'll never give up no matter what the chances are.

After a couple of minutes, the patient finally succumbed to his pain and accepted death.

Sakura, although saddened, got up and went to tend another patient. It's not the first time that she wasn't able to save someone. Of course, it hurts everytime but years of being a medic made her realize that she can't save everyone.

Besides, she has other issues to think about. The poison is new to her, aside from its harming effects, it also makes the body reject any healing procedures, making it a slow and painful death. Only one name comes to her mind when she thinks of this.

Suddenly, the hospital walls started shaking, causing panic to the patients and other medics.

"Sakura-san, someone is attacking the hospital!"

Sakura immediately went out to see who attacked and was met with the person whom she supposed was the one who attacked and poisoned her patient.

"We meet once again, Haruno Sakura"

"I'm afraid the feeling is not mutual, Kabuto"

"That's what I thought you would say" smirked Kabuto as he threw two kunais attached with explosive tags at her.

Sakura quickly pulled out two kunais from her pouch and threw it to block the kunais Kabuto threw and the explosive tags exploded in the air.

"I have to take him away from the hospital" Sakura thought as she thought for a place where they can fight freely, away from the villagers.

"Sumire, you're in charge of the hospital from now on. I have a business to deal with" she said as she sped off towards the forest, Kabuto trailing behind her.

It didn't take long for Sakura to lure Kabuto out of the hospital grounds and into the forest. Whatever Kabuto is planning, she's sure that it wasn't to harm the patients in the hospital. In fact, this might be his plan from the very beginning, to lure her out of the hospital.

Kabuto smirked evilly. She finally fell on his trap…

"Kabuto, before we start I need to tell you something" said Sakura, a plan forming in her mind, as she put her gloves on and prepared herself to fight.

"What is it?" asked Kabuto, his evil smile not disappearing

"I despise you"

"I despise you too, Sakura. That's why I'm really looking forward to your slow and painful death!"

And with that the battle of medic against medic began.

* * *

Author's Notes: Hi there! Sorry if it's been a really long time since I last updated, school stuff has been keeping me busy these past few weeks (or months XD) hehehe…

Well, it's now obvious that I really suck at fight scenes and it's taking most of my time in writing. So, if anyone can help me write those fight scenes (just one more for this story) I'll be really grateful. I'll credit the one who wrote of course! Just send me a message or let me know through reviews if you're interested!

**Important:**

Crimsonsnowflake has officially given me the right to continue her story "A Game of Seduction" (.net/s/5205635/1/A_Game_of_Seduction). So, I guess I'll be working on that after I finish writing Unusually… And she already wrote most of it so there's really not much work for me to do. I already have a concept on what to write so I guess I'll develop that and hopefully it will turn out great!

Thanks again for the reviews and inspiring words!

See you in the next chapter!

(*^o^*) Peace out! (*^o^*)

**Kaycee**


	12. Chapter 12

******Unusually**

**Chapter 12: In a very unusual way, I want to protect you**

"Nii-san! What happened to your eye?" asked Sasuke with obvious worry when Itachi appeared out of nowhere, his eyes bleeding.

"My eyes do not matter right now. How is the situation here?" asked Itachi in his usual stoic tone although the stress his body is suffering is hard to hide.

"An army of sound shinobis attacked us and we intercepted them. The area is clear now. We suffered a few casualties, mostly chuunin, and the injured were taken to the hospital" replied Kakashi

Itachi just nodded in return, thankful that his brother is safe and unharmed. But he knew that now is not yet the time to rejoice since Orochimaru is yet to be found.

"Was there any sightings of Orochimaru?" asked Itachi who has already regained his composure

"Not yet. But I'm sure he's just waiting for his chance to enter" replied Kakashi then summoned Pakkun to deliver a message to the Hokage.

Sasuke stepped up to his brother but stopped in his tracks when he was about to tap his shoulder. Noticing his hesitation, Itachi turned around to face his brother and asked him what he was about to say.

Sasuke hesitated again for a bit but then decided to voice out his thoughts

"Nii-san, are you sure you're okay?

Itachi just flicked his index finger on Sasuke's forehead

"I'm fine, Sasuke. Do you doubt my abilities?"

Itachi smirked as he walked away from his brother

Sasuke just smiled at his brother's antics, even though his older brother doesn't brag about his skills and capabilities he still has that Uchiha pride, something he won't approve of being tainted.

* * *

Sakura glared at her opponent as she tried to catch her breath. She had lead Kabuto away from the hospital and into the woods nearing the border of Konoha.

"Long time no see, Sakura. How have you been?"

"Stronger than before" she said proudly as she adjusted her gloves

"I bet you're still the weakest among your team"

Sakura, obviously annoyed by the latter comment, threw a chakra-infused punch at Kabuto who sidestepped and missed that attack.

"Your temper is just like your master's"

"Well, I did learn a lot from her and that includes beating the daylights out of shinobis like you!" she said as she punched the ground, causing debris to fly. Kabuto evaded the flying debris just in time but was not able to dodge Sakura's incoming kick to his back.

Although hurt by the kick, Kabuto got back to his feet quickly and brought out his scalpel and infused it with chakra.

Right there and then the two medic nins said to themselves that this battle is going to be a tough one.

* * *

Itachi, together with the rest of team 7, stood in front of the Godaime inside her office along with Shikamaru. Orochimaru still hasn't shown himself and that seems to be really problematic.

"Jiraiya mentioned that the time for Orochimaru to transfer to another body is nearing, which makes his body weak. There's a possibility that he is hiding in his lair and someone else is leading the attack" said Tsunade sternly.

"If that's the case, then Kabuto is surely the one leading" said Kakashi, his visible eye showing seriousness

"We're not sure about that. An anbu reported earlier that he saw Kabuto making his way towards the hospital. We already send Anbu reinforcements there" replied Shikamaru

The room fell silent all of a sudden, Orochimaru's plan still a mystery to them. Tsunade then darted her eyes toward the older Uchiha, the condition of his eyes barely escaping from her sharp eyes.

"You used it, didn't you?"

Itachi, knowing there's no need for further explanation, just gave a brief nod.

"Report to me when this is over. Avoid using your sharingan for the meantime"

"Yes" Itachi replied in his usual tone

"Team Kakashi, join Kurenai's team in finding Orochimaru"

"Hai!"

* * *

Sakura breathed heavily after punching the ground beneath her. The battle has been going on for twenty minutes and still no one is getting the upper hand. She was starting to get impatient and she knew that it was not good for her.

She dodged an incoming chakra infused scalpel and moved to the left. If she wants this battle to end soon then she must find a way to bring Kabuto out and do some severe damage. But she must do all of this without being hit by his chakra infused scalpels. Just a scratch might cause her body to work improperly or worse be paralyzed.

"Stop doing that nonsense, Sakura. We both know who is stronger. A weak person like you will always be weak" said Kabuto from within the trees. He might have thought that he got her provoked, too bad Sakura doesn't fall for that trick anymore. She had learned long ago to fight against insults thrown at her.

She closed her eyes and focused on her surroundings. If Kabuto doesn't want to show himself then she'll just have to find him and bring him out.

Kabuto knew that he can hide his chakra just fine, sadly Sakura has an uncanny ability to sense chakra no matter how well the user tries to hide it.

The insults kept on coming as Sakura slowly made her way towards Kabuto's direction without him knowing. She put chakra on her fist then punched the tree where Kabuto was but sadly he was too quick and evaded the attack.

"Too bad, Sakura. You just walked in straight to my trap" he said as he formed some hand seals for a genjutsu

"You're wrong, YOU walked in straight to my trap, Kabuto" she said as she smirked and dispelled the genjutsu Kabuto casted and aimed a chakra-infused kick to his head. Her boot connected with his head and it sent him flying further into the woods. With speed that she got from years of training under Tsunade, she caught Kabuto in time and gave a hard chakra-infused punch in the back, specifically to his spine, which made him collide with another tree.

"Damn it" Kabuto mumbled under his breath as he stood up and applied healing chakra to his broken ribs.

"Why Kabuto? Are you finding it hard to believe that a little weakling like me can do those things to you?" she said as she smirked in victory, happy that she got back at his earlier insults.

Kabuto then threw two chakra-infused scalpels and she dodged it just in time. However, she didn't notice Kabuto move to her back and threw two scalpels.

She hissed in pain as the scalpels embedded itself on her back.

The battle went on and on. Just then Sakura felt herself body become numb as the minutes passed by. She thought that it's because the battle is taking long and that her body is getting tired. But no, her movements become more heavy and shallow by the minute, she supposed it's because of Kabuto's earlier attack.

She was too focused in finding out what's happening to her body that she didn't notice Kabuto's incoming attack. She was flung with great force to the ground near the river.

She was starting to lose consciousness but the only thing that's running through her mind is that she can't afford to lose now, not after all the training she did to prove to herself and to everyone else that she's not weak anymore.

* * *

With Pakkun's help, Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke and Itachi found Kurenai and her team.

"Obviously, we still haven't found Orochimaru. But we saw what appears to be Orochimaru's clone at the forest earlier. It was still fresh so I believe Orochimaru is here" reported the team leader, Kurenai

"Anyway, how's the village holding up?" asked Kiba with worry in his tone

"Don't worry, Kiba! Fuzzy eyebrows and a lot of our shinobi are doing their best to protect the village" replied Naruto

"We don't have time to chat, let's search for Orochimaru" said Kakashi with a rare serious tone as they sprinted through trees again.

Kakashi and Shino led the group, followed by Kurenai and the rest.

Unlike Orochimaru's first attack years ago, this attack seems to be not well planned. The civilian soldiers are not trained well for battle, the army is obviously smaller than the last attack and their plan of taking over Konoha was exposed without them knowing it.

Perhaps this is a do or die situation for Orochimaru to capture Sasuke and make him his new body container. Those who know him know very well knows that he won't settle for anything else but Sasuke, even if it will cost a handful of lives.

A thing which Itachi and the others will try with their very best to avoid.

Luckily, Sasuke hasn't figured about that yet. All he knows is that Orochimaru plans to take over the village and make his army stronger. But his brother is not that insensitive like his blonde bestfriend, Itachi said to himself. He'll know the purpose of Orochimaru's attack sooner or later. Perhaps hanging out with the kyuubi container took its toll on his brother.

Suddenly, Pakkun and Akamaru's sharp senses confirmed Orochimaru's location.

"Team, we've found Orochimaru's location. Prepare yourselves" said Kakashi, not even a little hint of lousiness in his voice.

* * *

Sakura took ragged breaths as she rested her back on a tree bark. Luckily, she managed to fight against the numbness before she totally lost consciousness by regulating her chakra and using it as shield against the numbness until it finally faded away.

There's no doubt that this battle is wearing her out. Treating the injured at the hospital with her healing chakra left her with little amount of it. But her main objective for now is to avoid all of Kabuto's attacks, especially those that can cause severe damage, and prepare herself for the technique she will be using later. It's a technique that she developed with the tutelage of Itachi. She still hasn't perfected it though and didn't have enough time to practice it either. Kabuto proved earlier that he won't go down with just chakra-infused punches and kicks so she had no other choice than to take a chance with her new technique.

While Kabuto is out there lurking around the forest, she took the time to assess her injuries with her guard still up. One of her ribs seems to be broken from the kick Kabuto launched at her earlier. Scratches, cuts and bruises now adorned her petite body. And the chakra scalpels Kabuto used earlier is causing a disturbance in her chakra flow. But she's still grateful that her injuries are not life-threatening.

A spark of Kabuto's chakra signature is more than enough sign for her to know that her opponent is nearing. She quickly stood up and moved out of the way in time to avoid Kabuto's barrage of poisoned kunais.

Kabuto's medic senses told him that his opponent's chakra is low. He smirked at her, registering in his mind that he has the upper hand. Sakura hated that disgruntled smirk. Too bad, that smirk won't stay for too long.

* * *

Kakashi and the rest of the team still haven't got a lead as to where Orochimaru is. The scent that Pakkun and Akamaru sensed earlier seems to have disappeared without any trace, like a genjutsu. The possibility of it being a hoax to keep them away from the battle have crossed Kakashi's mind. But Akamaru and Pakkun are no ordinary dogs.

"It's a trap" Itachi, being a genjutsu specialist, confirmed

"But what do they want from us?" asked Naruto, somewhat aggravated

"It's me, isn't it? He wants me to be his next container" said Sasuke, this thought crossed his mind earlier but he disregarded it. It's heartbreaking to know that your beloved village is being attacked in order to capture you.

"We don't know his purpose yet" answered Kakashi to lighten up Sasuke's mood a little

"It'll be easier if we split into two groups" suggested Kurenai. Kakashi agreed and with that they went their separate ways.

* * *

Kabuto's chakra scalpels are having its effect on Sakura's body as she felt that her chakra is getting a little harder to control. But the fact remains that Kabuto is still out there, ready to kill her without any hesitation. But she still has one card to play for the tables to be turned and given the situation she is in right now, she must give it her all or else…

Sakura did not want to delve further on that last sentence so she formed some hand seals and concentrated her chakra.

Kakashi said in the earlier days of team 7 that she was a genjutsu type, however she did little to improve on her genjutsu given her schedule between missions and helping out at the hospital. Itachi realized Sakura's genjutsu potential too but was quite disappointed upon knowing the efforts she did to hone it. So he made it a point to polish her genjutsu techniques further during their off-duty days.

Itachi was one hell of a teacher, he knows what he wants and won't stop until he sees the result. Sakura often called him "slave driver" during those days but it was all worth it in the end.

Itachi always said that a person chooses to be a shinobi not for the techniques or recognition, but for the purpose of protecting something even if he has to sacrifice his life. A shinobi must have at least one technique that he can use in desperate times even if the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. For him, it was the Amaterasu.

And now Sakura has one of her own

Upon the sight of Kabuto ready to attack with his chakra scalpels, she released all her chakra

"SAKURA MIRAGE TECHNIQUE"

And then there was an explosion of Sakura petals.

* * *

"What's happening here?" asked Jiraiya as he entered Tsunade's office with a bewildering look on his face

Tsunade has her hands placed under her nose, her usual thinking position, as she eyed Jiraiya

"Orochimaru is attacking the village" she said simply but not breaking contact with him

Jiraiya knew that Orochimaru was planning to attack Konoha, that's why he was away from the village to do his own research, he just didn't think that it would come too soon.

Just then a male Anbu appeared "We have tracked Orochimaru's location"

"Take me there" said Tsunade as she stood up with a determined look on her face

"I'll go with you" said Jiraiya as he followed Tsunade and a group of Anbu

* * *

Pakkun confirmed with a nod that the real Orochimaru is nearby. And with that Kakashi, Naruto, Itachi and Sasuke sped off towards Orochimaru's direction. But they were a little too late because the Godaime, Jiraiya and a group of Anbu was already there.

Orochimaru was on top of Manda, his snake summon, as he eyed his former teammates.

"This will be the last warning, Orochimaru. Surrender now or else death is the consequence" warned Tsunade.

"There's no use in negotiating, Tsunade. You of all people should know that" remarked Jiraiya as he assessed the situation. There's no doubt that this fight will be big so it's best if they move to a more convenient location outside the village walls.

"Summoning no jutsu!" he yelled then a big red frog by the name of Gama Bunta appeared

"Tsunade, leave this to me" said Jiraiya as he leaped on top of his frog summon

With a curt nod, Tsunade and the rest of the Anbu team left, leaving Jiraiya to fight alone against his former friend.

Seeing that there's no point for them to be there, Kakashi decided for his team to leave. But Naruto decided to stay and be at his master's side, knowing Orochimaru he has other tricks up his sleeve.

Kakashi lead the way out of the forest, followed by Sasuke and Itachi. As of this moment, Orochimaru's army is on the verge of losing.

Sasuke casted a worried glance at his older brother, the bleeding has stopped but the strain his eyes are suffering is much too evident. Kakashi noticed it too, something critical must have happened for Itachi to use Amaterasu. The after-effects of the technique are weighing him down and it's getting harder and harder to concentrate as they progress.

"I'm fine" said Itachi, knowing all too well what Sasuke was trying to say. The village is still under attack and he won't rest until it's completely free from harm, even in his condition.

Then a thought crossed Itachi's mind as they came out of the forest and in to the clearing. His female 'bestfriend' is stationed at the hospital to tend to the wounded. He guess she'll be safe from the attacks since she's in the hospital but there's an eerie feeling that she might not be safe, and he didn't like it one bit.

"Sakura, please be safe"

* * *

Sakura gasped heavily as she forced herself to stand up and see the outcome of her technique. On the ground lies Kabuto, eyes widely opened and laughing greedily. He doesn't seem to grasp anything around him, he'll be forever trapped in her genjutsu and there's no way he'll escape.

Sakura smiled in victory as she stared at her once formidable opponent. The Sakura Mirage Technique that she developed with the help of Itachi sends the opponent in an illusion of paradise. Everything that the opponent wishes to have, like money, women or power, is being realized in that illusion. With that, the opponent will forever be trapped in that illusion, until the day he dies.

Sakura smiled proudly as she watched Kabuto suffer in her technique. She was stunned to see the result of her hard work. This was the first time she used that technique and it was astonishing to see the outcome.

And now the effects of the technique is wearing her out, she poured all of the remaining chakra she has in that technique and her injuries are not getting better either. She really pushed herself to the limit this time.

She collapsed and fell face first on the ground, leaving her forehead bleeding from the impact. With difficulty, she managed to get up. The only sound she could hear is Kabuto's hysterical laugh and the heavy flow of the river beside her.

Then she collapsed again, but this time not even her impact on the water nor the heavy current of the river can wake her up.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I'M BACK!

I'm really sorry that it took so long for me to write again. College life really gave me a hard time but it's all worth it in the end because I just graduated last April. Yay!

I want to thank you all for your patience and kind words. Your reviews and comments really lifted me up when I was down.

If you have questions, feel free to ask me. I'm just a message away! :)

Thanks for all the support!

Don't forget to leave a review!

See you in the next chapter!

(*^o^*) Peace out! (*^o^*)

**Kaycee**


	13. Chapter 13

**Unusually**

**Chapter 13: In a very unusual way, we are sharing the same night sky**

"Tsunade-sama, Orochimaru has been defeated" a male Anbu with a dog mask said as he appeared in her office and bowed in respect.

"Very well. Tell Jiraiya and Naruto to go to the hospital if they are injured. Shizune is back from her mission and is taking over the hospital" replied Tsunade as she kept her stern expression.

With that, the Anbu disappeared in a flash and another appeared.

"Tsunade-sama, the whole army has surrendered. We are now gathering all of them and will take them to Ibiki-san for interrogation."

"Make sure that's all of them" replied the Godaime as she stood up from her chair and observed the village from her window. The Anbu followed suit and disappeared.

"So all of this is to get Sasuke, right?" said Tsunade, directed to the two people inside her office.

"Yes" confirmed Shikamaru.

"Does he know about it?" she asked once again.

"Yes. But he's not acting rashly like I suspected" replied Kakashi.

"That's okay then" she said then turned around to face the two shinobi.

"The attackers have already surrendered but that doesn't mean that it ends there. Shikamaru, join Ibiki in the interrogation department and find out more clues. Kakashi, join the search and retrieval group together with your team" ordered Tsunade with utmost authority in her tone.

"Hai" said both ninjas as they disappeared in a puff of smoke.

After making sure no one is in her office, Tsunade exposed her vulnerable side as tears started pouring from her eyes.

"Farewell, old friend…"

* * *

White ceiling greeted him as soon as he opened his eyes. He blinked a few times to see that the white ceiling is not changing.

"Nii-san…"

He turned to his left and saw Sasuke sitting on a chair beside his bed. Then it came back to him. Kakashi parted with them to report back to the Hokage and mentioned him to go to the hospital to have his eyes checked. Sasuke decided to go with him and that was it.

"You collapsed while nearing the hospital. Shizune said that you put too much strain on your eyes and suggested not using the sharingan for at least two days" said Sasuke with worry in his tone but not as much as before.

Itachi then sat up and stared at Sasuke, asking about the incidents following after he collapsed through his eyes.

"Orochimaru was killed and his army has surrendered. The damage to the village is manageable and we only suffered a few casualties."

Itachi nodded in response. It's a good thing that the village got info about Orochimaru's plan prior to the attack and thus made necessary preparations.

"I feel bad that all of this happened in order to get me" muttered Sasuke as he stared down at his lap.

"Would you have felt better if you gave yourself in?" asked Itachi, his calm voice helping Sasuke to relax a bit.

"No, of course not" answered Sasuke and then there was a pause.

"We all protect what's important to us. Do not forget that, Sasuke."

Sasuke nodded in agreement, feeling better at what his older brother just said. Somehow, his silent brother has his way of lifting your spirits up with just a few words. It might be hard to discern at first but once you understand, you cannot agree more.

Speaking of an important person, Itachi almost forgot one. She was stationed here at the hospital so he's sure he'll get a glimpse of her sooner or later. The number of the injured patients is not that much but knowing her, she'll pour every ounce of her chakra to make sure everyone is well.

That lady… he already lectured her countless of times about not overworking herself yet she still continues to do it. She rarely has time for herself while balancing missions and her hospital work. But then again, he'll always be there to carry her home, won't he?

"Anyway nii-san, do you know where Sakura is? She's being summoned by the Hokage" said Sasuke, drawing him away from his thoughts.

Itachi then turned around to face his brother , the latter surprised to see his reaction.

"Haven't you seen her around here? She was stationed here at the hospital" replied Itachi, growing a little worried about his important person.

"I looked around for her while you were sleeping and I didn't see her. A medic told me that she was taking over the hospital when an attack came and she went out to see what was going on, since then she hasn't returned" explained Sasuke.

Then Itachi got up from the bed, eager to find Sakura. Sasuke tried to stop him and have him lie down again but he disagreed despite feeling a little dizzy.

"I would really suggest that you lie down for a couple more minutes, Uchiha-san" said Shizune as she entered the room. Both Uchihas stared at her but Itachi disregarded her presence and picked up his ninja pack from the bedside table.

"Stop it, Itachi. Kakashi and the others are already searching for her so you don't have to worry. If you really want to take part in the search, at least wait for fifteen minutes more for the drug to take effect" scolded Shizune.

Knowing that arguing with the Godaime's apprentice will be useless, Itachi lied down again on the bed. He doesn't have the right to lecture Sakura about overworking when he himself does that.

"Anyway, aren't you supposed to be part of that group, Sasuke?" asked Shizune, feeling happy that she got to make Uchiha Itachi follow her orders.

"Yes, I was just waiting for nii-san to wake up" replied Sasuke as he got up to leave. He bid his brother and Shizune farewell before he walked out of the room

Itachi was just staring at the ceiling, trying not to think of the situation becoming worse, when Shizune's voice interrupted his thoughts

"Don't worry too much about her. She's a fighter, trust her more" and with that Shizune left to visit the other patients.

Itachi agreed with her. Yes, Sakura is a fighter, she won't go down easily. There's no doubt that she has his utmost trust, that's why he allowed her to join his Anbu team during missions. But somehow, he has this melancholy feeling in his heart.

* * *

Kakashi was on the field with a few shinobis to conduct a search and retrieval mission. It was an easy task, thanks to his summon dogs who have the keenest sense of smell. Kurenai and her team are also doing a search and retrieval mission on the other side of the village. They were the most compatible team for these kinds of mission, considering the members of their team and their abilities.

Sasuke then arrived with Naruto. They have met on their way to join their sensei.

"Too late boys, we're already finished" remarked Kakashi.

"Then let's report back to baa-chan" retorted Naruto with his unwavering energy.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be at the hospital?" asked Kakashi, remembering Naruto's participation in bringing down Orochimaru.

"I didn't do anything at all. Ero-sennin did all the work. Besides, Orochimaru was weak from the start so the fight didn't last long. Ero-sennin did obtain a few injuries, though, but he's doing okay now" replied Naruto, quite happy that the ordeal with Orochimaru is over.

"How about your brother then, Sasuke?" asked Kakashi.

"He's still at the hospital. He fainted on the way but he's awake now" answered Sasuke. Kakashi and Naruto noticed that Sasuke seemed a little tensed so they decided to ask him.

"What's wrong, teme? You said so yourself that your brother is alright" asked Naruto, a genuine concern evident on his voice.

"Have you seen Sakura? I was told that she was stationed at the hospital but apparently she's not there" replied Sasuke. Both Naruto and Kakashi grew nervous but the latter knew that he must report back to Tsunade first before finding his female student.

* * *

The rest of Team 7 stood in front of the Hokage inside her office. They have reported about their successful search and retrieval mission and also about Sakura's disappearance. She knew that they won't just sit here and wait for any information about their teammate.

"Do what you want but only for this day" said Tsunade with a serious tone but with traces of nervousness for her pink-haired student.

"Hai" the three men said at once before disappearing in a flash.

* * *

Kakashi, Sasuke and Naruto stood in front of Sakura's house. In order to find their missing teammate, they must have something that has her scent in it.

Kakashi opened the door and led the two in. He didn't find it surprising at all to find Sakura's front door unlocked.

They went upstairs to Sakura's room and Kakashi summoned Pakkun. He picked up the hairbrush that was on her bedside table and had it smelled by the dog. It had strands of her pink hair and that was enough for Pakkun to pick up her scent.

"Follow me" said the ninja dog and the rest followed behind him.

* * *

5, 4, 3, 2, 1…

Itachi got up from the hospital bed, took his belongings and left the room with no hesitation. That was probably the longest fifteen minutes he has to endure in his life. Although his body was at rest during those fifteen minutes, his mind was not. He just can't get Sakura off his mind, especially upon knowing that she's nowhere to be found.

It's not that he doesn't trust her, he knew very well how strong she has become, he witnessed it himself. He loves Sakura with all of his heart and he'll do anything to make sure she is safe.

With that motivation, he took off. The first place that came to his mind was the bridge where they met a few hours ago. Luckily, the bridge was not affected by the attacks and is still standing strong. Finding no sign of her there, he left. He let his feet take him in search of Sakura but still no sign of her. And then he stumbled upon Kurenai and her team. They must have news about Sakura's whereabouts since they are the best team for search missions.

"Uchiha Itachi, what brings you here?" asked Kurenai as Itachi descended from the tree branch he was in. Hinata, Kiba and Shino also stared at the man in question.

"Haruno Sakura, have you seen her?" asked Itachi abruptly.

"No, we haven't. Is something the matter?" replied Kurenai, his attraction to the pink-haired medic not new to her at all.

With a curt nod, Itachi left without another word.

As he was sprinting through the forest, he almost fell from a tree branch. Thankfully, his reflexes kicked in and prevented the fall. He mentally berated himself for not focusing on his surroundings but then again how can he stay calm and collected knowing that he hasn't seen any sign of her?

As he was dashing through the forest he ran into Team 7. Each of them had distraught expressions.

"Nii-san, we're searching for Sakura" said Sasuke, stating the obvious.

"Pakkun is picking up her scent, we must get going" said Kakashi. All of them nodded and followed suit. None of them even questioned Itachi joining them.

They were sprinting through the forest when a sadistic laughter caught their attention.

"Sakura's scent is in the same direction as the voice we just heard" informed Pakkun.

Kakashi nodded and followed his direction, his team trailing behind him.

They came upon a clearing near the river. The cracks on the ground were enough proof that Sakura WAS here. It seems that the fight was a difficult one, judging from the cracks on the ground.

Naruto and Sasuke took it upon themselves to search the nearby areas for any sign of their beloved teammate. Kakashi and Itachi stood there as they observed Pakkun.

Pakkun was sniffing the ground, identifying her scent but somehow it just stopped a few inches away from the river.

"Her scent stops here" he informed.

Kakashi digested this information until he came to a conclusion.

"Could it be that…"

"Kakashi-sensei!" yelled Naruto as he emerged from the trees while carrying the source of the sadistic laughter on his shoulder together with Sasuke.

"Wait, that's…" said Kakashi, knowing all too well who that man was.

"It's Kabuto. But he seems to be in a daze" replied Sasuke as he stared at Kabuto.

Kakashi took a closer look at Kabuto and felt his pulse. His pulse stated that there's nothing wrong with his heartbeat but he's not responding at all to his environment. He just kept on laughing and laughing like he's on cloud nine.

"She used it" stated Itachi as he observed the pitiful state Kabuto is in.

The rest of Team 7 stared at him curiously. However, Naruto being his boisterous self, decided to voice out his thoughts.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Sakura used the genjutsu I taught her, the Sakura Mirage Technique" answered Itachi as he stared at all of them. Their curious gazes told him to continue.

"It's a genjutsu that traps the victim in an illusion of paradise until the day of his death. But it requires tremendous amount of chakra."

"Then Sakura must be somewhere near, right? She was here so she couldn't have gone too far" remarked Naruto, his worry for his sister figure increasing.

"She was definitely here, Naruto, but traces of her scent stop here. I assume that she fell into the river" said Kakashi, not liking where this is going at all.

Just by listening to the river's flow, one can assume that the current is strong. And it didn't bid well for all of them.

"Then what are we doing here? Sakura needs us" said Naruto, almost at tears.

Kakashi wanted nothing more than to agree with Naruto and search for their beloved teammate. However, he is the team captain and has to make rational decisions. They just can't leave Kabuto behind. He holds a handful of information about Orochimaru and his plans.

"We have to take Kabuto first to the Hokage. Although he's in that state, he holds too much information and we can't let him escape" said Kakashi.

Naruto and Sasuke wanted to oppose their sensei's decision. But they realized that Kakashi is right, and with that they nodded in agreement.

Kakashi dismissed Pakkun and Sasuke carried Kabuto on his back. They were about to sprint through the forest when Sasuke noticed his brother not moving.

"We are going back, nii-san"

"I am not a part of your group" said Itachi and with that he went the other direction, eager to see his love once again.

* * *

Sakura slowly opened her eyes and felt herself being dragged carelessly the water's flow. She smiled softly at the fact that she was still alive but she wasn't safe either.

She can hear the sound of a huge waterfall and right there and then she knew that this might be her end.

Such a foolish way to die… But at least she will die with honor.

There was nothing she could do to avoid the waterfall, she is out of chakra and her body is already beaten up.

She smiled once again, if this will really be her end then it will be safe to say that she has lived a happy and wonderful life. She didn't have any regrets because she has lived her life at her own will.

And with that she closed her eyes and prepared herself for a long slumber.

"Yukimaru, don't wander off too far" said a woman with light blue hair as she prepared to cook the fish they caught earlier.

"Okay" said the boy with long pale green hair as he played with the little fishes swimming at his feet. This part of the river was always his favorite because of the calmness it provided. He could tell that his mother figure also likes this place because she always took him here.

He smiled at the thought that his life is more peaceful now than it was before when he was in that lair. He couldn't ask for more other than this.

"Yukimaru, the food is ready!" said the blue-haired woman as she waved at him.

"Coming!" said the boy as he turned around to eat with her.

Suddenly, he saw something pink from the corner of his eyes. Curiosity got the best of him and he went to examine what that pink thing was until he realized that it was not a thing, it is a human and a lady at that.

Her body was full of scratches and parts of her clothing were torn, probably as a result of falling from the water falls. She also looked pale and she might suffer hypothermia soon if she doesn't get out of the water.

Without hesitation, the boy named Yukimaru pulled her out of the water and called his mother figure.

"What is it this time, Yukimaru?" she asked, somewhat annoyed, as she approached the boy.

Yukimaru didn't answer vocally but instead showed the young lady to her. She didn't look like a normal civilian from her clothes but rather a shinobi, she just doesn't know in which country this unconscious lady was from.

"She needs help, Guren. She might die if we let her be" said Yukimaru worriedly.

"We can't trust her, Yukimaru, even in her condition. She's a shinobi and she might be out to get us" Guren reasoned but Yukimaru's facial expression told her that she won't be able to win the argument easily.

"She needs help, Guren, and we're the only ones who can help her. I don't want to think that someone died and we could've done something to prevent that" he said with determination.

Guren just sighed, knowing that Yukimaru once again won the argument. But he did have a point though, it's just that past experiences made it hard for Guren to trust anyone easily.

She lifted the pink-haired lady who is soaking wet, told Yukimaru to get the fish and went home to their humble abode.

* * *

Itachi searched frantically through the dense forest near the river. It was already sundown and still no sign of her. He used his sharingan a few times but it only lasted for about ten seconds before a painful headache stopped him from doing so.

He wanted to find Sakura, he really wanted to. There's nothing else in the world that can make him happy other than her. But the rationality of the situation struck him and he realized that he has to retire for the night and continue the search tomorrow.

He let his feet take him and somehow he found himself in front of Sakura's house but instead of going inside, he turned around and went to the direction of the Uchiha compound. He knew that he won't be able to sleep in her house when everything inside that house reminds him of her.

Sooner than he expected, he was standing in front of their house inside the Uchiha Compound. Luckily, the damage the compound suffered from Orochimaru's fight is very minimal and all are safe.

He slid the door open and took note that Sasuke's slippers are there.

"Oh, good you're back Itachi" Uchiha Mikoto said as she examined her son's body for any serious injury. Thankfully she found none and sighed in relief.

Itachi gave his mother a courteous bow before he went to the kitchen and got himself a glass of water. Mikoto followed and had him sit beside her at the table.

"Your father is in a meeting with the other Uchihas. They protected this compound and thankfully no one got killed" said Mikoto.

Itachi regarded her with a curt nod and silence fell upon the room.

"I heard from Sasuke that Sakura went missing…" mumbled Mikoto as she stared at the table in front of her.

"Yes. I searched for her this whole afternoon but I haven't seen any sign of her" replied Itachi with a bit of sadness in his voice.

Sensing his son's sadness, Mikoto immediately brighten up.

"I'm sure you'll see her again, Itachi. Both of you have a special bond for each other. And I'm sure that with that bond, you'll see her again. And besides, she is a strong lady just like Tsunade-sama"

Itachi nodded at that statement and left the kitchen to go to his room. He was about to open his bedroom door when Sasuke came out of his own room which was adjacent to Itachi's room.

"Nii-san" greeted Sasuke and Itachi regarded him with his signature "Hn".

"I know that you're worried about Sakura, but my team and I will go on a mission tomorrow to find her. I promise that we won't be coming home without Sakura" Sasuke said determinedly.

"Keep your promise" said Itachi then went inside his room and closed the door behind him.

* * *

Sakura slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the light. The first thing she saw was the wooden ceiling. It seems strange because she was sure that the ceiling in her room is colored beige and not brown. The rooms in the hospital too were not brown, they were white. So where exactly is she?

She stood up hastily and quickly regretted doing it as she soon realized the numerous injuries her body had sustained.

"Oh, you're awake!" said the boy in delight as he came to her side.

Sakura just stared at the boy with long pale green hair. She can't recall ever seeing him so he might not be a resident of Konoha.

"Where am I and who are you?" she asked as she carefully took in her surroundings.

"My name is Yukimaru and you're in our home. We found you floating in the river yesterday" he said in glee, happy that she was awake now.

"Floating in the river?" she mumbled to herself but Yukimaru heard it.

"Yes. I don't know what brought you to the river but you're safe now" replied Yukimaru, not losing his cheerful tone.

Then like a gust of wind, the events from yesterday surfaced. She defeated Kabuto and the last thing she remembered was floating in the water, going along with the flow.

She stared at her arms, not surprised at all to see bandages wrapped around it. Her chest was also wrapped in bandages as a result of her fight with Kabuto. Cuts and bruises now adore her silky smooth legs. Not to mention that she is now wearing a yukata, far from the ninja clothes she was used to wearing.

"Guren did all of that" said Yukimaru as he stared at her bandaged form "She opposed to helping you at first, but I persuaded her to. Be sure to thank her once she gets back."

"This Guren, is she your mother?" she asked, taking note of her savior.

"Yes, you can call it that. She's off to find some food but she'll be back soon" said Yukimaru as he smiled at her. She smiled back at him, somehow Yukimaru resembles Naruto in many ways.

Then she remembered her friends back at Konoha. She knew that they must be worried sick about her. Her team might be looking all over for her. And Itachi, no words can describe how much she wants to see him right now. If only she was not in her current condition then she might have returned to Konoha this instant.

She took the time to assess her injuries. The light cuts in her arms and her legs are almost healed but some of them are too deep, she assumed that it might take another day or two to close the wound but not completely heal it. There appears to be a huge bruise on her back that she believed she sustained from falling from the waterfalls. It was painful especially since she was sleeping on her back for the whole day. And her left ankle is twisted in a very awkward way that she assumed was also a result from falling from the falls.

Still it amazed her that she suffered only minimal injuries from the fall. Being a medic, she has encountered many injuries and most of the patients who fell from a waterfall were either gravely injured from hitting rocks or dead from drowning or from internal organ damage. She must have unconsciously made a chakra barrier which protected her from drowning and from the impact of falling into the falls.

Sakura brought her palms to her twisted left ankle and concentrated her chakra. The only problem was that she was completely drained of chakra. Then she remembered being stabbed by Kabuto's chakra scalpels, causing her chakra circulatory system not to function normally.

She just sighed, she felt as helpless as a little girl. She can't even summon a slug to let Konoha know that she's still alive and doing well, if you put it that way. She guessed that the only thing she can do for now is to wait until she has enough chakra to heal some of her serious injuries and deliver a message to Konoha about her wellbeing.

The sound of the door opening disrupted her train of thoughts. She looked at the source of the sound and there she saw a woman with light blue hair, carrying three fishes on a stick.

"Guren!" welcomed Yukimaru as he came to give her a hug. The said lady returned the hug favorably and gave him his lunch. Yukimaru took it gratefully and sat in a corner to eat his lunch.

"Here!" said Guren as she threw the fish towards Sakura who caught it easily. Guren saw this and was convinced that this lady they rescued was indeed a shinobi, just as she predicted.

All of them ate their lunch in comfortable silence, with Yukimaru occasionally praising Guren for her cooking and engaging in a little chat with her.

Sakura watched them while they eat. She was thankful that she didn't fall in the hands of enemies, although she's still not sure if they can be trusted or not.

* * *

Itachi dashed through the forest to continue his search for Sakura. He came to the Hokage's office earlier, asking if she has news about the whereabouts of Sakura. Sadly, she hasn't got any info about the pink-haired medic yet. Itachi also heard that Sasuke and his team, the search party that was tasked to find Sakura, had to do a sudden mission hence the search got delayed for a day so they'll be leaving tomorrow.

He was thankful that Tsunade hasn't assigned him for a mission yet. It was probably because his sharingan still cannot function properly. Either that or she wants him to be the one to find Sakura.

As for Kabuto, he is still in the care of Morino Ibiki and Yamanaka Inoichi. He doesn't know what kind of fate awaits Kabuto but these kinds of criminals are mostly executed.

He scanned the forest for any sign of her and drifted off when he found none. Two hours had passed and he still got the same result. He stared at the river for a second and cursed it for taking Sakura away.

He caught a glimpse of himself in the river and took notice of his weary appearance. The stress line below his eyes seemed more obvious now and his eyes looked restless. Then again, how can you rest not knowing where your beloved is or how she is doing?

His chain of thoughts was broken upon seeing a familiar red fabric which got stuck between two rocks. He grabbed it swiftly and examined it. This is undeniably Sakura's forehead protector. It must've been removed by the strong current of the river.

Knowing that he's in the right direction, he sprinted through the forest with a new found determination.

* * *

_Later that night…_

Sakura joined Guren outside the house. She found herself unable to sleep, she still has a lot of questions and she knew Guren might have the answers.

She sat across from the older woman, the fire serving as a wall between them.

"Thank you for saving me, Guren" said Sakura as she let out a small smile, remembering that she hasn't thanked her savior properly.

"The one you should thank is Yukimaru, I probably wouldn't save you if I was the one who found you. I don't like helping other shinobis" replied Guren with a tone that told Sakura she was telling the truth.

"But still, you were the one who nursed me. Even if you don't accept it, I'll still be thankful" she said politely. Guren chose not to reply and just stared at the fire.

"You and Yukimaru are so close. I suppose that he's your son" she said, taking note of Yukimaru's answer earlier when she asked him if Guren was his mother.

"Biologically, he's not mine but I know in my heart that I love him as if he was my own. Certain events lead me to him. Those events were not really pleasant but I'm still thankful because I met Yukimaru. He has changed my life for the better" said Guren, not even bothering to look at her and instead kept her gaze at the fire.

Sakura knew exactly what Guren felt like. She had been in the same predicament as the older woman.

"Although those times were tough, it gave us another chance to live our lives for the better" said Sakura, remembering her childhood.

"Who are you to say such things? You don't know what Yukimaru and I had to go through!" yelled Guren, her anger rising.

"Although I haven't experienced war yet, I know how you feel. Like you, I'm a shinobi too" said Sakura in calm manner as to not aggravate the older woman further.

"Where did you come from?" asked Guren, her anger decreasing.

"I'm from Konoha" replied Sakura with pride. A long pause followed after that until Guren spoke again.

"The one who caused us pain also hailed from Konoha. His name is Orochimaru. He was the one who saved me when I thought that it's the end for me. For that I became one of his faithful servants and did all the dirty work for him. I was even willing to give my body to be his next container but in the end he deceived me. That's when I realized that I was just a toy he had been playing all along. But if it wasn't for him, I probably wouldn't have met Yukimaru. Although I hate Orochimaru from the bottom of my heart, I'm somewhat thankful because he brought Yukimaru and I together."

"Orochimaru was also the reason why I ended up here. He launched an attack at Konoha. I don't even know how the village is holding up right now but from the information I heard, the purpose of the attack was to capture his chosen container" said Sakura.

"Anyway, what are your plans? Yukimaru and I can't stay at one place for a long time, Orochimaru's men are still searching for us after we left his lair" said Guren, successfully changing the subject.

"I have to let my injuries heal first, healed enough for me to travel back to Konoha" answered Sakura, knowing that her injuries will only be completely healed once she returns to her village.

Guren decided not to ask her further. Comfortable silence fell upon them, each in their own thoughts. Then Guren sighed in relief. For the first time in a long time, she finally felt at peace. Constant running from Orochimaru's men made her worry over the simplest things. She didn't know why she felt this way but it was probably because Sakura lent her an ear to listen to her rambles.

Both ladies decided to retire for the night when they realized that it's getting late. Guren took her place beside Yukimaru and Sakura lied down on the futon she was sleeping at earlier.

Sakura hoped that she'll have enough chakra tomorrow to at least heal her serious wounds. She really wanted to return to Konoha as soon as possible. It's only been a day since she was gone and she's already missing her teammates. Her team probably went berserk when they found out that she went missing. Just imagining their reactions made her miss them more.

And Itachi, he's probably as worried as her teammates. She can't really blame him though, they have been important persons in each other's lives for so long. And they just recently realized how they truly felt for each other. She would probably feel the same way if Itachi was in her position.

Sakura stared at the bright night sky from her position on the floor. The night sky always reminded her of Itachi. He has this uncanny habit of just gazing at the sky full of stars. Perhaps, that's one of the reasons why he always liked spending the night at her house. Itachi's room, formerly Sakura's parents' room, has a little balcony and he always enjoys star gazing from that spot. She also noticed this habit of his while doing a mission with his team. If they are staying at an inn, he would always choose the bed nearest to the window or if they are spending the night at the forest, he would always choose a spot where the trees don't block the night sky view.

She smiled warmly at the thought that she and Itachi might be doing the same thing right now, just gazing at the vast sky full of stars.

* * *

Itachi stared tiredly at the oak ceiling of his bedroom inside the Uchiha Manor. The only accomplishment he attained today was finding Sakura's forehead protector. He tried asking other people if they saw a certain-pink haired lady but his mere presence was so intimidating that people tried to avoid him. Those who didn't get scared of him answered negatively to his questions.

Tomorrow will be the second day of Sakura's disappearance. He really wanted to be the one to find her, to rescue her, to bring her home. But sadly his Anbu team will be deployed tomorrow for a very important mission in Suna. The Godaime herself mentioned that she didn't want to send Itachi and his Anbu team on a mission, perhaps she wanted him to be present once Sakura returns. However, his team was the most qualified for this mission so the Godaime had no choice. They will only be gone for a day at most but Itachi will try his best to get the job done right away so they can return as soon as possible.

Itachi knew that he can't last long without knowing if Sakura is okay. This situation is mentally torturing him. In his life as a shinobi, this was the first time that he felt this overwhelming level of fear and it wasn't even for himself but for this special female he had come to love all along.

In an attempt to get some peace of mind, he stood up from the futon, opened the window and sat on its frame. He gazed at the sky above and felt calmer at its allure. He had developed this uncanny habit when he was still a young boy. Back then the pressure of being the clan's heir was really getting into him and star gazing was his avenue of releasing the stress the whole clan is putting on him. And he got used to it that it became a nightly ritual before going to sleep.

He knew that Sakura knew about his strange habit but she never once questioned it.

His lips twitched upward, a slight indication that he is smiling, as he thought about what Sakura is doing right now. Somehow in an unusual way, she took up this habit from being with him. Just the thought of her sharing the sight of this vast night sky with him made him really happy. Although they are far away from each other, the night sky will always be there to serve as a link to each other's hearts.

"Sakura, I love you. Please be safe…" he muttered as he lied down again and drifted off to slumber.

* * *

Author's Notes: Hello! I'm back again! The creative juice is flowing well and I found myself really inspired to write these past few days. Your reviews and responses really helped me to be in this state and for that I thank you. I really felt good while writing this whole chapter since I'm not feeling any stress lately.

Anyway, Guren and Yukimaru are from the three-tailed beast filler arc. I just thought that they are the right persons to be Sakura's saviors. If you want to clarify something or ask a question, don't be afraid to ask! I'm just a PM away!

Oh, and based on my calculations, this will be the third to the last chapter for this whole story. Please stay with me until the last!

Thank you again for those who sent a review, subscribed to story alert and listed Unusually to their favorite stories! You guys keep me motivated!

(*^o^*) Peace out! (*^o^*)

Kaycee


	14. Chapter 14

**Unusually**

**Chapter 14: In a very unusual way, I cannot lose you**

Naruto, Sasuke, Sai and Kakashi stood by the Konoha gates, ready to leave in search for their lost teammate.

"We'll be off then" waved Kakashi to the two guards on duty.

"Please return safely" one of the guards said.

Kakashi regarded him with a nod and off his team went. They have chosen to leave before the sunrise so that they can get a lead about Sakura's whereabouts from the people in the next village who are doing their morning shopping.

Tension filled the air as they sprinted through the forest. It was a well-known fact that Sasuke and Sai don't get along very well. It started when Sasuke, together with his father and other Uchihas, went to Mt. Hakurei to train. During those times Sai was assigned to replace him when Team 7 had missions. The training lasted for three months and he got really pissed upon knowing that someone he doesn't even know had replaced him. Since then they have treated each other as rivals, well it's more like a one-sided rivalry with Sasuke hating everything Sai does. Sai, on the other hand, didn't mind and always kept his composure whenever Sasuke is around.

"Kakashi-sensei, should we do something about these two?" whispered Naruto, feeling the eerie tension between his teammates.

"I don't think there's anything we can do, Naruto" answered Kakashi with a sigh.

That Hokage… why did she let that weird guy named Sai join his team?, Sasuke thought as he landed on a tree branch and off to another. She probably did it to piss him off, which is already happening at this early part of the mission. But this is no ordinary mission, Sasuke though once again. This is a search mission for their lost teammate. He won't let his own ego stand in the way of finding Sakura.

Swallowing his pride, Sasuke decided that if he wants this mission to be successful then he has to get along with Sai. He wouldn't be able to stomach it if something bad happens because he let his pride get in the way.

And besides, he made his older brother a promise, a promise that he doesn't intend to break.

* * *

Sakura held Yukimaru's hand as they made their way towards the river. Guren had gone out earlier to meet with a friend and promised to be back by afternoon.

"Hey Yukimaru, what's that you're holding?" asked Sakura as she took notice of the flower enclosed inside a pink crystal Yukimaru is always carrying.

"It's a camellia flower that Guren crystallized for me. She said that the crystal won't break as long as she stays alive" replied Yukimaru as he stared at it and laughed happily.

Yukimaru never failed to amaze Sakura. Guren had mentioned about him being able to control the three-tailed beast. For that Orochimaru used the young boy to his advantage, never minding the effects it had on the boy. But in the end Guren and Yukimaru managed to escape from Orochimaru's lair but at the cost of not having a permanent home. Still, Yukimaru always kept a positive outlook in life and always smiled.

"Yukimaru, do you mind if I ask you a question?" she asked as she stared at the young boy.

"Of course not, Sakura!" he replied gleefully.

"Don't you feel… sad? Sad that you have to move from home to home?" she asked. There was a small pause before Yukimaru gave his answer.

"No, I don't feel sad at all. A long time ago, someone told me that your home is where someone thinks about you. My home is with Guren. Wherever Guren is, that's where my home is. Even if we have to travel a lot, I won't feel sad because Guren is with me" he replied happily. This brought a sincere smile to Sakura's face, even though Yukimaru is still a young boy he knew what happiness meant.

"How about you, Sakura? Do you know where your home is?" asked Yukimaru suddenly.

It didn't take another moment for Sakura to answer.

"Yes, my home is in Konoha. I don't have a mother or a father anymore but my friends in Konoha served as a family for me. I'm sure they're very worried about me right now" replied Sakura as she thought about her friends back at home.

"Then you should return to them as soon as possible" remarked Yukimaru with a cheerful voice.

Sakura regarded him with a nod. The thought of returning to Konoha excited her, it is after all her home. It's been two days since she went missing so she's sure Konoha would send a search party. A part of her wished that Itachi was part of the search party but she knew that her master wouldn't send a team with such caliber just for a petty search mission to find her.

Yukimaru tugged at her hand which brought her back from her musings. They were beside the river now. She folded the sleeves and the end of her white yukata as she went to the river to catch fishes for their lunch. This was the only clothing Guren can give her and her ninja clothes are beyond repair.

Yukimaru gladly helped her and in a matter of ten minutes they have managed to catch two fishes.

"Don't wander too far" reminded Sakura as she set up the fire. Yukimaru regarded her with a nod then proceeded to play with the little fishes.

Waiting for the fishes to cook gave her time to assess her injuries. Luckily, her left ankle is getting better now and she can walk just fine. As for her other injuries, they seem to be healing well. Her subconscious might have sent little amounts of chakra while she was sleeping to aid in the healing process. The main problem though is that her chakra circulatory system is still not functioning normally, leaving her with a small percentage of chakra to use.

But based on her calculations, this small percentage of chakra is enough for the half-day travel back to Konoha, not including the ninjas she might encounter on the way.

The smell of the cooked fish brought her back and she called Yukimaru to have lunch.

"How is Konoha like, Sakura?" asked Yukimaru before he took another bite on his fish.

"Well, Konoha is a large village in the fire country. It has lots of attractions but what I like most about Konoha is its people. All of us are like a huge family, looking out for each other. Especially my teammates since they have been a huge part of my life. If you get the chance to visit Konoha, I'll show you around" said Sakura as she smiled at the young boy.

"That's a promise then!" exclaimed Yukimaru in excitement. Sakura just smiled at him, he reminded her so much of Naruto.

Her smile quickly faded as she felt unwanted presence. She stood up and told Yukimaru to stay behind her, in which the boy did without hesitation. She sensed three and they were probably C-ranked shinobis or higher. This situation didn't bid well for her since her chakra level is low and her injuries are not yet completely healed.

"Hand over the boy or else we won't be merciful in dealing with you" said the bald man. He doesn't have a forehead protector but from what he said, Sakura assumed him to be one of Orochimaru's men.

Sakura sensed Yukimaru's nervousness and she gave him a small smile. "Don't worry, Yukimaru. I won't let them have you."

* * *

Itachi didn't like what he was feeling this instant. They were beyond the border of Sunagakure and will reach the said village in a matter of minutes.

Genma felt the sudden change and decided to ask the team captain what was wrong.

"Nothing" told Itachi. Genma and Shino knew that their captain was lying but they decided that asking further questions is pointless. If what he felt were enemies then they just have to deal with them, they were Anbu by the way.

Itachi berated himself for being distracted while doing a mission. The Kazekage is expecting them and he shouldn't waste time having such thoughts. But still the feeling he had wasn't like the feeling of unwanted company, it was something else. Like someone who has deep connection to him is in danger.

And at that thought he instantly knew it was Sakura. Something bad might be happening to her and the sad part about it was that he won't be able to protect her. But instead of worrying, he decided to trust her. She is a powerful ninja capable of protecting herself.

With that, he pushed all thoughts about her at the back of his mind as they neared the gates of Suna. But he also knew that he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about her while doing this mission.

* * *

Guren dashed through the forest, eager to tell the good news to Yukimaru and Sakura. She had met with Gozu, a friend she trusted, earlier to exchange information about Orochimaru and his men. The news Gozu told shocked her but in a positive way. Orochimaru was killed when he launched an attack against Konoha two days ago. Even his right-hand man, Kabuto, was captured and will be executed soon. Apparently, Gozu was outside the border of Konoha doing some side jobs when he heard the news.

Finally, she and Yukimaru are free, Guren thought to herself as she landed on a branch. No more constant hiding and running away, they can finally live a normal life now. She knew Yukimaru will be as happy as her once he finds out about Orochimaru's death.

With that in mind, she sped up her pace. The thought of Yukimaru's face lighting up upon hearing the news excited her and she wanted nothing more than to see him right now. Also, her subconscious yearned to see him but for a different reason she cannot comprehend.

* * *

Sakura stood defensively, with Yukimaru behind her, as she stared at her attackers. They were not amateurs but were not professionals either. Sakura knew that she can kick all of their behinds if only she had full control of her chakra system, but she just have to deal with all of them using all the resources she has.

"Hand us the boy, girlie. You wouldn't want that face of yours to be bruised, right?" said the second man who had long brown hair and a full beard, his sword pointed towards her.

"Just stay behind me, okay? This will end soon" whispered Sakura as she glanced behind her. The nervous boy just nodded in response. Sakura knew that her main objective is to protect Yukimaru. He was the one who saved her and she is more than willing to do the same for him.

"So that's your answer huh?" said the third man who had red spiky hair. He then threw a few shurikens in her direction, in which she easily dodged. The second man came up to her and tried to stab her with his sword. Sakura took advantage of him standing a few feet from her and landed a hard punch on his jaw, which sent him flying a few feet away. The bald one used some hand seals and summoned a huge wave using the water from the river. Sakura took Yukimaru and dodged just in time. She then threw two kunais towards him.

"You think that will hurt me?" yelled the bald man mockingly, but his expression soon turned to surprise as he saw the explosive tags in the kunai. The explosion left his left arm burned and limp.

The spiky-haired man then landed behind her, wrapped his arm around her waist and flipped her over. Her body was sent crushing to the ground before it turned into a log. Sakura then appeared behind the long-haired man and sent a chakra-infused punch to the back of his head but snarled as she realized that it was a bunshin.

Stinging pain to her right shoulder brought Sakura's attention to the long-haired man. He smiled maliciously upon seeing her bleed from his kunai attack. He then ran towards her with his sword raised. She flipped to the side, effectively avoiding being hit again in the shoulder. After making sure that her attacker is not a bunshin, she raised her chakra-laden first and it collided with his head. She smiled at her partial victory, this will take him out of the battle.

Sakura turned her head to the side and successfully dodged a kick to the head by the spiky haired man. She realized that this man specializes in close combat attacks using taijutsu. Deciding to do the opposite, she jumped backwards as she formed a series of hand seals. A wall of water appeared from the river and collided with the spiky-haired man.

Yukimaru's cry distracted her from the fight and she saw the bald man carrying Yukimaru. She immediately ran towards the bald man to retrieve the young boy.

"Not so fast, pinky" said the spiky-haired man as he landed in front of her. Sakura snarled and aimed a punch on his face, in which he evaded and then engaged in a hand-to-hand combat with the kunoichi.

The bald man smirked wickedly as Yukimaru cried for help from his shoulders. The little boy started pounding his fist on the bald man's back but it was ineffective. They sprinted through the forest until the bald man felt something different. He took out a kunai and embedded it on his captive's leg and then the young boy disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Surprise was written all over his face as he realized that the young boy he was carrying all along was a bunshin. He cursed at himself for not noticing it earlier and decided that the kunoichi has to pay for what she has done.

* * *

Terrified, Yukimaru watched as Sakura took on the three men who were sent to capture him. Without the enemy noticing, Sakura formed some bunshins to distract them, took Yukimaru to a pile of rocks near the river and formed a genjutsu technique to hide him.

This has happened a lot of times before when he is travelling with Guren. It always made him frightened but Guren always ended up victorious. But he didn't know if the same will happen in this fight, considering the situation and Sakura's current condition.

But the battle seems to be progressing well in favor of Sakura. She already managed to take down the long haired man who specializes in weapons and the bald one took off with her bunshin in his image.

Trusting her seems to be the most useful thing to do in this situation.

* * *

Guren landed in a clearing within the forest. A large tent stood in the clearing and the camp fire is still hot, indicating that there were shinobis here just minutes ago. Feeling no presence within the clearing, Guren decided to examine the camp. She found evidences leading her to believe that this camp belongs to Orochimaru's men. The location of the camp was close to their temporary shelter and this could only mean one thing.

Wasting no time, Guren leapt from tree branch to tree branch, eager to find Yukimaru and Sakura. She hasn't felt Yukimaru's enormous chakra yet which led her to believe that he is still safe. As for Sakura, she has no idea.

* * *

Sakura panted heavily as she stared at the spiky-haired man in front of her. Her chakra is running dangerously low, if this keeps up she won't have enough chakra to maintain the genjutsu that protects Yukimaru from sight. Unfortunately, the bald man was already back and is in a rage and the spiky-haired man she has been fighting for the last ten minutes seemed to be just as tired as she is but won't let it show.

She quickly leapt backwards, successfully avoiding the bald man's shuriken barrage and the spiky-haired man's incoming kick. She then instructed her bunshin to fight the spiky-haired man while she set her eyes on the bald one.

"So, where did you hide the boy?" asked the bald man, not really expecting to hear the true answer.

"In your mother's grave" answered Sakura as she smirked at him. Her answer angered the already angry bald man and he did a couple of hand seals. Soon, a mist covered the area.

Sakura closed her eyes and concentrated on her surroundings. The spiky haired man already defeated her bunshin and is now looking for her.

A spark of the bald man's chakra told her his location and she sent a kunai with an explosive tag towards it. However, she failed to notice her other opponent and she was sent harshly to the ground by a kick on her back. She stood up quickly and attacked the spiky haired man with a kick, in which he avoided. Suddenly her ankles got caught and she got dragged into the deep river. The bald man smiled sadistically at her as he fired a barrage of shurikens at her. She got hit on her left arm, her blood mixing with the water. Rapidly, she removed the shurikens which were embedded on her arm.

The bald man did a series of hand seals and summoned a powerful current. It knocked Sakura to the bottom of the river roughly. She coughed up blood from the impact then put chakra to her feet and jumped out of the water.

As she jumped out of the water, a kick was sent to her stomach and she fell back to the ground. The spiky haired man smiled in victory then cursed upon seeing the log in her place. Sakura used a substitution jutsu right before he sent that kick.

Then her fist connected with his jaw and he was sent flying towards a tree. Sakura panted heavily as she wiped the blood dripping from the side of her mouth. The genjutsu protecting Yukimaru is getting weak and she still has two opponents. Fighting without using chakra seems to be her only option.

She clashed kunai with the bald man and they both jumped backward, each glaring at the other viciously. Then the bald man raised his hand to perform some hand seals, unfortunately for him Sakura took this chance and punched him in the stomach.

"What's this?" asked the spiky haired man as he stared at the pile of rocks. There was something unnatural to it. The first thought that came to his mind was a genjutsu so he released it then he came face to face with their target.

In shock, Yukimaru tried to run away but was caught by his captor.

"HELP ME!" he screamed at the top of his lungs

"Oh no… Yukimaru!" yelled Sakura as she ran towards the young boy. The bald man, having just regained his consciousness, saw her turn her back to him to rescue the boy. He smirked evilly as he threw a barrage of kunai towards her.

Sakura winced in pain as numerous kunais embedded themselves on her back. Although it was hard, she put the pain at the back of her mind and went to retrieve Yukimaru. With a chakra infused punch, she hit the ground where the spiky haired man stood and he fell out of balance, being forced to let go of his captive.

Sakura took this chance and grabbed Yukimaru. The only option they have now is to run from their enemies. She held Yukimaru's hand and turned around to leave, only to find that the bald man is blocking the way. And behind them is the spiky haired man. Sakura tried to think of other options but they are cornered right now. Her chakra is almost nonexistent and she had used all of her shuriken and kunai earlier.

"Give us the boy if you know what's best for you" demanded the bald man as he twirled a kunai in his index finger.

Sakura just growled at him in anger before embracing Yukimaru protectively, using the last ounces of her remaining chakra to form a protective barrier.

Just as the two men were to attack, the roar of a tiger and the sound of chirping birds filled the area.

* * *

Even with Pakkun's strong sense of smell, team 7 still can't find a lead as to where their missing teammate might be. All of the villagers they had asked answered negatively to their question. The only hint they have about her whereabouts is that she might be here in this small village or within its vicinity. According to the map, the river in which Sakura fell in is within this village.

Kakashi unrolled the map on the table. They had just finished eating their lunch in this little restaurant.

"The river is right here" said Kakashi as he pointed to a specific location in the map. "It's just a few kilometers from here so I assume we'll arrive there in twenty minutes."

"But there's a water falls before this river. She might have injured herself if she did fell from the water falls" said Naruto, his worry for his sister figure growing.

"She's a medic, Naruto. She can protect herself from the impact" answered Kakashi, taking away some of Naruto's worry. Sai nodded in response.

"If someone found her and helped her, their house should not be far from the river" remarked Sasuke as he surveyed the area near the river in the map, it's surrounded by the forest.

"Or she might have been taken captive" said Sai suddenly. His teammates just stared at him, at a loss for what to say. Leave Sai to say the negative factors. Sasuke glared at him in response.

As much as Kakashi want to disagree with his pale-skinned student, he has a point. Bandits commonly take shelter within the forest and this does not bid well for their missing teammate.

Then Kakashi stood up "We won't know the answer if we stay here". His students nodded in response and made their way to the forest.

Pakkun lead the way and they sprinted through the trees in comfortable silence, each in their own thoughts.

The promise Sasuke made to his older brother, Itachi, still rings in his mind. Sakura has been a sister figure for him and Naruto since team 7 was founded. Of course, there were times when she would flirt with him and he would call her 'annoying' but all of that has changed as they grew up, although sometimes he still thinks of her as annoying. He knew how close his brother and Sakura has grown to be and if they decide to take the next step, he'll gladly give them his blessings. And besides, this is the first time he made a promise to his older brother and he doesn't intend to break it.

"I've detected traces of her scent, although it's a little faint" declared Pakkun as they dashed towards the river.

"HELP ME!" they heard a screaming voice which most likely belongs to a boy. Upon hearing that, they sped up, putting chakra to their feet to enhance speed.

They arrived near the river within seconds and the site before them surprised them. There was Sakura, clutching a young boy protectively, as two shinobis went in to attack.

Sasuke nodded at Sai, who nodded back as response and in an instant an ink tiger appeared and Sasuke performed the necessary hand seals to form a chidori.

The two shinobis, obviously shocked at the sudden intruders, stopped their incoming attack to the girl and turned their attention to the intruders. Kakashi and Naruto took this chance to rescue their female teammate and the young boy.

Sasuke and Sai saw no reason to hold back and released their anger at Sakura's attackers. Sasuke made a bunshin and had the bunshin form a chidori for itself. He stood before the bald man and his bunshin behind the man. Wordlessly, the two chidoris connected with the bald man's body which resulted in his immediate death. Sai, on the other hand, let his ink tiger do the deed and within a minute, the spiky-haired man met his demise.

"You guys! I'm so happy to see you!" exclaimed Sakura in pure glee and almost at tears, as she hugged the four men who, in return, hugged her back.

"Sakura-chan, we were so worried about you. Are you okay?" asked Naruto as he released all the worry that weighed him on his shoulders.

"Dobe! Does that look okay to you!" yelled Sasuke as he pointed at the injured form of Sakura. Sakura just smiled at her teammate's childish antics, although Sasuke using a pronoun that represents an object to refer to her is somewhat irritable, but she let it pass.

"I wasn't talking to you, teme! Quit meddling with other people's business!" Naruto yelled back, his annoyance written all over his face.

"You two are both idiots!" retorted Sai with his poker face.

Then the two 'idiots' turned their heads towards Sai "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!"

Sakura just laughed at the scenario happening in front of her. Kakashi just sighed, asking the sky what he did to deserve such students. Yukimaru just stared and gave a little laugh.

"I'm alright, sensei. My injuries are not that serious, although I might have a hard time travelling in this state" said Sakura as she noticed Kakashi inspecting her injured form.

"That won't pose a problem, Sakura. I'm sure one of those idiots is willing to carry you back to Konoha" replied Kakashi. Thankfully, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sai are still in the middle of quarrelling to hear what their sensei mentioned. Sakura suppressed a small laugh then proceeded in removing the kunais that were embedded on her back. Kakashi willingly helped her.

"By the way, who is the young boy?" asked Kakashi as he removed the last kunai on her back and stared at the boy in question. Sakura sighed in relief at having all the kunais removed from her back.

"His name is Yukimaru. He and his mother, Guren, were the ones who found me floating in the river and they saved me" replied Sakura as she gathered her remaining chakra to her back to heal the wounds, being aware that it's not enough for her wounds to be completely healed.

Just then they heard a loud shout and a woman with light blue hair appeared.

"GUREN!" exclaimed Yukimaru as he ran towards her and she welcomed him in an embrace.

"Are you hurt? What happened?" asked Guren as he inspected Yukimaru's body for any injuries, in which there were none.

"Orochimaru's men suddenly attacked us. Thankfully, my comrades came in time and saved us" answered Sakura as she stood up and made her way towards Guren and Yukimaru. She then introduced her team to Guren.

"We are very thankful for the hospitality you've shown to our comrade these past few days" said Kakashi as he bowed in appreciation.

"No need to thank us, killing Orochimaru is more than enough" replied Guren then her eyes lingered on Sakura.

"Don't tell me you intend to travel in that state" said Guren, an indirect offer on putting first aid to her wounds. Sakura just nodded then they went to Guren and Yukimaru's house.

* * *

Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke and Sai waited outside the little house as Guren tended to Sakura's wounds. Yukimaru managed to kill the time by telling them their story, how he met Guren and the reason for Guren's resentment towards the late Orochimaru. Also, Naruto seems to have developed an unusual connection with Yukimaru, although he can't point his finger on the reason for it.

After twenty minutes, Guren and Sakura came out.

"I'm going to miss you, Sakura" said Yukimaru in a sad tone as he went up to hug her.

"Don't worry, Yukimaru. I'll come to visit often, and as promised I'll show you around Konoha if ever you have the chance to visit" Sakura replied cheerfully as she hugged him back.

"Okay" replied Yukimaru as he let her go. He then fished something on his robe and when he withdrew his hand, he was holding a crystalized camellia flower, like the one Guren gave him.

"This is for you. I asked Guren to make one for you so that you won't forget us" said Yukimaru as he handed her the gift. Sakura gladly took it "Thanks! I'll take good care of this."

With this, Kakashi descended down from the tree branch he was resting on "Well, it looks like we have to take our leave." His students followed him and took their bags.

Then Sasuke kneeled in front of Sakura with his back facing her "Hop in" he said in a tone that sounded more like a command.

Naruto resisted the urge to protest at Sasuke's sudden offer to save time and energy. Sakura, although a little bit surprised, didn't say anything and hopped on Sasuke's back.

Sakura waved farewell to Yukimaru and Guren as they set off towards Konoha, her home.

* * *

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief as she lay down on the bed inside the Konoha Hospital. The three-hour trip back to Konoha went peacefully. They went straight to the Godaime's office upon arrival and Tsunade almost cried upon seeing her and ordered her to stay in the hospital until tomorrow. Tsunade also promised her student that she'll personally tend to her injuries later. If it were up to Sakura, she would have chosen to stay at the comfort of her home but she knew how worried her master has been for her so she chose to agree to stay at the hospital for the night.

Konoha seems to be recovering quickly, although the damage done by Orochimaru's attack is minimal. And also the patients in the hospital seem lesser which means that everything is under control now.

Sakura heaved another sigh, realizing how much she missed her beloved village, her friends, and also Itachi. She really wanted to see him, to personally tell him that she's doing alright. But it seems that she won't be seeing him for the rest of the day since he's on a mission.

A knock at her door disturbed her flow of thoughts and she told the visitor to come in.

"I thought this room lacks color" said Sakura's female best friend as she entered the room carrying a bouquet of colorful daisies. Sakura smiled cheerfully at Ino as she put the flowers on the vase.

"What happened to you? We were so worried about you, you know" said Ino as she pulled out a chair, placed it beside her bed, and sat on it.

"Long story, Ino-pig. Fortunately, Kakashi-sensei and the others managed to come just in time. If they were even a second late, I shouldn't be in one piece right now"

"Well, it's good to hear that after all the worry you put us through, you're back safely" said Ino with a grin.

"Don't say it like it's my fault!" huffed Sakura.

Ino just laughed at her, their rivalry over Sasuke ended a long time ago but despite that they still talk as if they're rivals. "Anyway, have you seen your knight in shining armor already?"

Sakura blushed at Ino's question and Ino in return smacked her on the back.

"Ouch! That hurt, you know!" protested Sakura as she felt another bruise forming on her back. Ino laughed nervously and offered her some dango, in which Sakura gladly accepted and stuffed in her mouth.

"Itachi was worried sick, you know. I heard from Shizune-senpai that Tsunade-sama purposely did not assign Itachi and his team on a mission after she heard about your disappearance. Sadly, a very important mission came this morning and his team is the most suited for it" said Ino as she ate her share of dangos in a much slower pace than Sakura.

After much thought, Sakura answered. "Well, if we switched places I would undoubtedly feel the same way but this is Uchiha Itachi we're talking about so the chances of him encountering the same situation are almost unreal. And besides…" she said then directed a small smile to her female best friend "I know Itachi well enough to know that he won't let personal feelings get the better of him."

"True, but you have to make sure to apologize to him once he gets back. He seemed more stressed the last time I saw him"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Or better yet, surprise him with a passionate kiss once he gets back. Just make sure not to wear lip stick though, guys hate being smothered red all over their faces" said Ino with a wink.

Sakura blushed deep red and threw the pillow towards the blonde female.

* * *

So far, the relaxation Sakura hoped to realize in the Hospital is not yet happening so sheclosed her eyes and tried to clear her mind of the things Ino had mentioned earlier. It surprised her that Ino's dating tips are still clogging her mind although she wasn't really paying attention to it.

Sakura then opened her eyes and stared at the setting sun through her window. Ino just left a minute ago and Tsunade will come a little bit later to have a check up on her which meant that she'll be able to have a few hours for herself, that is if someone decides not to interfere with her just-made-up schedule.

A knock was heard at her door half an hour later. Somehow, she didn't find this unexpected at all. She has disappeared from the village for a couple of days without anyone knowing her whereabouts so it's only rational for her friends to come and visit her.

"Come in!" she said loud enough for the person on the other side to hear as she propped herself in a sitting position. However, she nearly fell from the bed when she saw her visitor.

"Good evening" greeted the middle-aged woman as she merrily entered the room.

"Good evening too, Mikoto-san" greeted Sakura as she gave a polite bow, trying hard to conceal her nervousness at her unexpected visitor.

Mikoto Uchiha sat on the chair Ino was sitting on earlier and placed a bento box on the night stand "I thought you might be hungry so I brought you food."

"Thanks, Mikoto-san" smiled Sakura.

"It's good to have you back, Sakura. Everyone was worried about you, even Fugaku" said the older woman as she remembered the night when she told her husband about Sakura's disappearance. He then asked about the details and Mikoto told him everything she knew. After years of being together, she was able to differ whether he was worried or just curious.

"Thank you, I'm well aware of that. And please send my apologies to Fugaku-sama for making him worry. I'll be discharged tomorrow so there's nothing left to worry about" said Sakura as she gave the older woman a warm smile.

Awkward silence fell into the room as Sakura thought about what to do next while Mikoto pondered on how to deliver her message to the young lady. There's no doubt that Sakura likes Mikoto very much seeing as she has always looked out for her and Naruto in her own way ever since Sasuke introduced them to her. She had occasional talks with the older woman like when they bump into each other in the market place or when she and Naruto were invited to an Uchiha gathering or just to have dinner at their house. However, Sakura can't really recall having a serious, in-depth, heart-to-heart conversation with Itachi and Sasuke's mother ever. And this fact made her nervous.

Sensing the nervousness, Mikoto held Sakura's hands and stared at it.

"Sakura, I've known you since you were twelve and I'm proud of what you have accomplished so far. You've grown into a beautiful young lady, both inside and out. I'm sure most men here in Konoha at around your age have taken interest in you, even without you noticing it. However…" she paused a little and looked at the young lady in front of her.

"I find it hard to believe that your bond with Itachi is merely friendship" Mikoto finally says and Sakura found it hard to form words. With that, the older woman continued.

"Itachi… He had his fair share of dates with other women. All of them were of noble status arranged by the clan elders in order to find a suitable bride for him, but he never liked anyone of them. That's why whenever I see you two together, I can't stop thinking that maybe you are the one" Mikoto then smiled a sincere smile.

Sakura smiled back nervously, at a loss for what to say. Did Mikoto just say what she thought she said?

"I know that it's too soon for me to say those words, but Itachi has changed a lot. He is not as unemotional as he used to be and his social skills are getting better. I know that you played a huge part in it" said Mikoto genuinely, her smile unwavering.

Sakura regarded her with a heart-felt smile "Mikoto-san, thank you for your kind words. I am well aware of my feelings for your son and trust me when I say that I love him with all my heart."

"I know, Sakura. Please do me a favor and watch over him. I know that he's a very strong shinobi but I still worry sometimes" said Mikoto as she squeezed Sakura's hand.

"Of course" regarded Sakura as she gave a reassuring smile towards the older woman. Mikoto smiled back at her then stood up to leave. She bid her farewell then left the room, leaving Sakura on her own again.

* * *

Itachi and his Anbu team entered Konoha after a successful mission. Just as he predicted, it took them a whole day to finish it. Genma and Shino bid their farewell as both of them went to the direction of their homes.

"Welcome back" greeted Sarutobi Asuma who is in guard duty of the gate tonight. Itachi bowed politely in response to the older man.

"Another successful mission, eh?" Asuma asked in his usual cheerful voice.

"Yes" came Itachi's reply. He then noticed that the older man is not smoking cigarettes like he usually did.

Asuma took notice of this "A lot changes once you have a family. Anyway, it seems team 7's mission is also a success."

Itachi took the hint, bid goodbye to the older man and went straight to the hospital.

Normally, hospital protocol forbids visitors beyond the visiting hours but he is Uchiha Itachi afterall. He has built his reputation throughout the years and he'll willingly use said reputation to get what he want.

"Itachi-sama" greeted the lady at the front desk as she bowed respectively. From her appearance, Itachi could make out that she is an Uchiha.

"Haruno Sakura's room, I wish to know where it is" he said bluntly. Immediately, the lady nodded and checked it on her clipboard. Once she told him where Sakura's room was Itachi left without another word.

Swiftly, he made his way to her room but stopped when he saw Tsunade exiting her room. Itachi bowed in respect and Tsunade regarded him with a stare, knowing exactly his reason for being here.

"She's asleep now. It will take three days for her chakra circulatory system to work normally, other than that she's fine, her wounds are not that serious" she said in a tired voice.

"Hn"

Feeling the urge to go home and lie on her comfy bed, Tsunade turned to leave before reminding Itachi to report to her tomorrow about the mission.

Once that was done, Itachi slid carefully into the room as to not wake its sleeping occupant. He then released the breath he didn't realize he was holding at the sight of her sleeping form. Her even breathing told him that she was sleeping soundly, without anything bothering her in her sleep. And for the first time since Sakura's disappearance, he felt his tense muscles relax and he smiled.

He stayed with her for a few more minutes before telling himself that he has to get some rest too. He silently made his way out of the room and into the Uchiha compound, his mind going into a state of relaxation.

* * *

"Ah… home sweet home!" said Sakura as she took in the scent of her home. She was just discharged from the hospital and all of her wounds are completely healed now, courtesy of Tsunade. However, it will take three days for her chakra circulatory system to heal, leaving her mission-less for the next three days. But it didn't bother her much, she's safe and at home now.

"Hey, Sakura-chan! Let's have dinner tonight at Ichiraku!" told Naruto in his usual exuberant voice as he placed her bag on the couch. He and Sasuke picked her up from the hospital earlier and assisted in carrying her stuff, although she insisted that she can handle it herself.

"Of course!" exclaimed Sakura as she clapped her hands together in delight. The only food she has eaten these past few days were grilled fish and just thinking about having ramen for a change excited her.

"You already had ramen last night" commented Sasuke, his arms crossed as he leaned on the wall.

"Shut up, teme! Ramen is good for everyone!" berated Naruto as they once again engage in a verbal argument. Sakura just smiled at her teammates' childish antics. It was indeed good to be back home.

* * *

Sakura spend most of the day surrounded by her friends. She had barbecue with the rest of the rookie 9 and later went to a karaoke bar. Between Kiba and Lee's consistent fight for the mic, Naruto and Sasuke's continuous bickering, Choji eating his favorite potato chips, Ino's one sided conversation with Sai (in which Sakura knows she likes), Shikamaru's sighs of exasperation, Shino's unknown aura emitting throughout the karaoke room, Tenten and Hinata's girly giggles when they talk about their men, and her casual conversation with Neji, Sakura cannot be more happier. It's one of those very rare occasions where they can just sit, relax and spend some quality time together.

She returned home after having dinner with her team at Ichiraku. It became a habit for them to reward themselves at Ichiraku after doing a mission or training, although when it comes to Naruto ramen is always the answer.

Quickly, her shinobi senses told her that she wasn't alone but she smiled as she felt his chakra signature. She promptly went up the stairs and knocked at Itachi's door. Upon hearing him answer, she gently slid into the room only to see the lone occupant in the balcony, gazing at the sky.

And for the second time that day, she saw him. The first being when he came to visit her at the hospital earlier and helped her pack her things. But he came to leave shortly to hand in his report to the Hokage and run a few errands.

"Welcome home" said Itachi in a low voice with his back facing her.

"Thanks" Sakura murmured as she joined him in the balcony.

"It's so peaceful tonight" remarked Sakura as she gripped the railings and stared at the sky. There was a long pause before Itachi decided to voice out his thoughts.

"I was worried" he muttered.

"Sorry" she murmured then waited for him to continue.

"Your absence made me realize a few things"

Sakura nodded in understanding, as she too realized the intensity of her feelings towards the man in front of her while she was away.

"I can't lose you again"

Sakura stood there, frozen to her spot. Never did she think that Itachi would be openly admitting his feelings for her. Of course, she had heard him say that he loves her, but that was after they have resolved a misunderstanding. She thought that he had only said that for things to return to what it was before.

"That is why" he said as he advanced towards her, wrapping his arms around her waist "I want to be committed to you."

His dark obsidian eyes shone with the deepest sincerity he could muster, solemnly telling her his intentions.

Sakura nodded as she felt tears forming in her eyes, tears of happiness. Perhaps, that was the missing piece in their so called 'relationship'.

"I want that too" she muttered as Itachi wiped the tears with his thumb. Her eyes shone with happiness Itachi haven't seen before.

He cupped her cheek and slowly brought their lips together in as sweet, chaste and longing kiss.

And for the first time in their lives, Itachi and Sakura felt contented.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I suck at fighting scenes, please bear with it... I had a hard time writing those fight scenes, but I'm just glad that it's over hahaha! If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask! Send me a message or write a review and I'll get back to you in an instant!

Anyway, my cat has been giving me his support (in his own little way). He always sleeps beside the laptop on the table at night when I'm writing (I like writing during the night because it's peaceful and quiet). He's so cute!

Anyway, thanks for those who gave reviews! I really appreciate it!

I'm working on the last few chapters so I hope you'll get to stay with me until I publish them!

Thanks again and see you in the next chapter!

(*^o^*) Peace out! (*^o^*)

**Kaycee**


	15. Chapter 15

**Unusually**

**Chapter 15: In a very unusual way, you live within me**

"Welcome home"

Itachi stared at his lover as he closed the front door to her house. Sakura was seated at the far end of the couch while reading a medical book, and from her posture he could tell that she has been waiting for a while.

"I'm home" he said wearily as he sat next to her on the couch. She then put her book away and patted her lap. Taking the invitation, he lied down on the couch with Sakura's lap as his pillow then closed his eyes.

"So, how was the mission?" asked Sakura as green chakra radiated from her hands and used them to massage his temples.

"The group of spies has been disposed before reaching their village" replied Itachi as he felt his tense muscles slowly relax. "And you?"

"We successfully obtained the medicinal herbs from the mountain cliff and took care of the rouge nin guarding it. Shishou said that those will be used to formulate a new set of soldier pills, although they're still experimenting on it" she replied while keeping her focus at the task at hand.

They stayed like that for a couple more minutes. Sakura hummed a song, one that she remembered during her childhood, as she kept massaging his temples, almost lulling her patient to sleep. She ceased the action upon sensing his more relaxed form.

Once that was over, Itachi sat up and put his arm around her shoulder. She leaned in at the sudden contact and placed her head at the crook of his neck and a hand at his chest, feeling his heart beating for her and only for her.

It had been two years since they became an official couple. The people around them didn't seem fazed when they announced their relationship, somehow they knew that they were going towards that direction anyway. They weren't the perfect couple, they had a few misunderstandings in the two years they've been together but they always made sure to resolve it before it gets worse.

Sakura giggled at the memory of one of their few disputes. Itachi was away on a mission on that day when Tsunade assigned team 7 for an unlikely mission, a seduction mission. Their target was a rich man who has built his own army to take over little villages. He seemed invincible with all the money he has and the body guards he hired, but he had a very unique weakness towards women. Sakura immediately declined to be part of that mission, telling them that Itachi wouldn't like it, but sadly they were the only available team for said mission so they had no choice but to accept. Naruto had to teach Sasuke and Kakashi his infamous sexy technique, in which both of them had no other choice but to comply. In the end, Naruto and Sasuke were the ones who did the seducing, while Sakura and Kakashi took care of his body guards. The blonde boy received a big lump on his head when he made a comment about Sakura not being able to participate in the seducing because she was not 'invested' enough.

The memory of that mission surely had an effect on the young Uchiha's mental health for at least a few weeks. Naruto, on the other hand, regarded it like it was just a petty mission, he did use his sexy technique lots of times to get what he wanted when he was still a young boy.

Itachi was furious upon knowing the kind of mission his lover did. He gave Sakura 'the cold treatment' upon her arrival. Sakura knew that Itachi must really be pissed to give her 'the cold treatment', it wasn't like his usual stoic self, it was something more. Luckily, Sakura managed to explain her part on the mission at the end of the day and thus, resolving the misunderstanding. But Itachi made her promise that she will never ever take part in such missions, in which she complied right away.

Itachi stared at the young woman in his arms and gently planted a kiss on her forehead. He wasn't able to see her in the past three days because of his mission and he missed her dearly. It became a natural occurrence for him to always think about her while they're apart but rather than be distracted, he thinks of her as a motivation to get the job done immediately.

Sakura tilted her head up and their lips met in a loving kiss. She felt the same feeling she had when they had their first kiss. The way Itachi kissed her sends her to a place where she can be most happy, because he is there to share it with her. Come to think of it, a large part of her world seems to revolve on Itachi and their relationship lately, and she has nothing to complain about it. Despite having quarrels from time to time, she has to admit that she is most happy when Itachi is around with her.

Itachi smirked as he felt Sakura's mouth parted, giving him entrance to her mouth. Ever since Orochimaru's attack, Konoha has become more peaceful than ever, at least that's what he perceives it to be. Without her knowing it, Sakura pierced through the many barriers he had in his heart and found her place at the center of it. Whenever he's with her, the problems weighing him down seem to dissipate instantly. When they're together, he can just be Itachi, not the Uchiha Itachi known all throughout the entire village. She had kept him grounded, and he was thankful for that.

The kiss lasted for a while until they had to break apart, feeling the need of air in their lungs. Once that was done, Sakura resumed her position with her head at the crook of his neck.

They got up minutes later, Sakura excused herself for the night and Itachi went to take an evening shower. He indulged himself in the shower, the hot water helping his tense muscles relax. Once he was done, Itachi stepped out of the shower connected to his room, clothed for the night.

He looked slightly surprised when he saw Sakura sitting on his bed with a smile on her face. He regarded her with a questioning look.

"Remove your shirt and lie down on your stomach" she instructed as she stood up and gestured towards the bed. Itachi conformed to her command without any questions. Soon he felt her gentle hands on his well-toned muscles as she massaged them. It didn't escape Sakura's well-trained senses that the massage she gave his temples a while ago was not enough to completely relax his body.

Itachi closed his eyes in relaxation as Sakura worked on his back. This action of hers became a tradition everytime he returns from a mission. And this is one of the reasons why he really looked forward to returning from a mission as soon as possible.

Sakura smiled warmly as she massaged her lover's shoulders. She loved doing this and she knew he loved this just as much. She glanced at the interior of the room as she kept massaging him. Nothing has changed much since her foster parents passed away and Itachi took this room as his own. Photos of her foster parents still lingered on the walls, one with both of them and the other with Sakura in it.

Her smile brightened when her eyes lingered on the photos placed on the night stand, one of the few things Itachi displayed on the room for his liking. The first was a photo of her and Itachi when they went out for their first anniversary. She was wearing a red formal dress, Itachi always told her that red complimented her well, and he was wearing a black suit. Sakura insisted for them to have a photo taken at the studio and Itachi did nothing to contradict it. In the photo, she has her arm wrapped around his and her head rested on his upper arm. Itachi has a slight smile to his face but Sakura could tell from his expression that he was just as in love with her as she was with him. The second photo was taken during a small get together for Ino's birthday. They were in their casual clothes, sitting on the bench and Sakura had her head rested on the crook of his neck while Itachi had his arm wrapped around her shoulders protectively. She was tired that day after returning from a B-ranked mission with her team. Itachi told her to rest for a while since many have yet to arrive and she did just that. Naruto, who was very cheerful despite having just returned from a mission with her and the rest of the team, was the one who took the photo using Ino's camera.

Sakura was brought out of her musings when she felt his whole body relax completely and she removed her hands from his back. Itachi sat up, wore his shirt back and stared at her intently. He could tell that she wants to say something.

"Uhm.." she started as she unconsciously fidgeted with her fingers, an action she got from hanging out with Hinata. "Can… Can I sleep here, beside you?" she asked, slightly nervous.

Itachi smiled softly as response. Sakura took that as a yes as she got on the bed with him. He took her in his arms as they lied down on the bed. Sakura took notice that his hold was unusually possessive on her but she didn't mind. They rarely got to spend some quality time together this past week because of their responsibilities and it made her miss him a lot, and judging from his hold the feeling is mutual.

Sakura rested her arm across his torso as she laid her head on his heaving chest, listening to his beating heart. Throughout their two-year relationship, she has remained pure and untouched. It was never a problem to Itachi as she told him that she wanted to save herself for marriage. Itachi respected her decision and didn't force himself on her. They can prove how in love they are with each other without having to do that.

Itachi looked down on the sleeping girl beside him. When they made their relationship public, he knew that it was subject for a clan meeting. Some Uchihas obviously didn't approve of her, stating that she didn't meet the requirements to have a relationship with the future clan head. Fugaku, who has come to acknowledge her, defended her along with the other Uchihas, stating that her apprenticeship with the fifth Hokage, who is the granddaughter of the first Hokage, is more than enough to be an eligible candidate for his son. There were a few arguments here and there but it in the end they came to an understanding and approved of her. Itachi was grateful, especially to his father who had grown a liking towards his lover.

He placed a soft kiss on her forehead as he closed his eyes, feeling himself slowly being drifted off to slumber.

"Good night, dearest"

* * *

Itachi opened the front door to their house at the Uchiha Compound and went inside. The smell of curry overwhelmed his senses as he made his way to the kitchen. Mikoto smiled at her son upon seeing him and told him to wait a few more minutes for the curry to be ready.

Itachi did as he was told but instead of waiting in his room as he usually did, he took a seat at the dining table as he watched his mother prepare the meal.

This thought has been plaguing his mind for a couple of weeks now. And for that reason, he asked his cousin, Shisui, for guidance. It had been a two-hour heart to heart talk with his older cousin. Shisui would insert a few jokes here and there but at the end of their conversation, Shisui had enlightened his mind about the matter and Itachi was willing to take his advice.

Feeling the need to be productive, Itachi set up the table as his mother added the last touches to the curry. Mikoto watched him from the corner of her eye, her son has been acting unusually strange since he came back from his mission three days ago.

"Your father is on a mission right now and Sasuke is training with his sensei for the day. So for the mean time, it's only you and me" Mikoto started as she took a seat across from her oldest son.

"Hn" replied Itachi before thanking his mother for the food and started eating. Mikoto flashed a smile to her oldest son as she too started eating.

"Is there something you want to talk about, Itachi?" asked Mikoto as she stared at her son eating dango for dessert. He had been edgy when they were eating lunch earlier and she can no longer keep her thoughts to herself.

Itachi stared at her for a moment, in search for the right words to say to her. But when he found out that his mind is too puzzled to explain everything, he just settled for the words he had thought at that moment.

"Mother, I need your help"

* * *

Sakura bent down to have a better look at the bouquet of yellow and orange daisies inside the Yamanaka Flower Shop. She had the rest of the day off so she decided to visit her female bestfriend.

"So you only come to me when your boyfriend's not around" huffed Ino in a sarcastic tone from behind the counter.

"Come on Ino, you're like that too when it comes to Sai" she remarked as she decided on the yellow and orange daisies. Her reply made Ino blush at the thought of her boyfriend.

"I'll take these" said Sakura as she handed Ino the money for the flowers.

"It's on the house!" exclaimed Ino as she refused to accept Sakura's payment. Sakura insisted to pay for the flowers but Ino was much more persistent so Sakura gave up.

"What do you plan on doing on your birthday?" asked Ino suddenly. It will only be a week until Sakura turns 23.

"Honestly, I really don't know" replied Sakura as she sat on the wooden chair and laid the fresh bouquet of daisies on her lap.

"We have to throw you a party! It'll be fun!" the blond exclaimed, a plan already forming on her mind.

"Do we really have to? I just want a simple celebration with my close friends" regarded Sakura as she stared at her blonde friend, wondering why these kinds of things always excite her.

"Trust me, it'll be fun. First we have to find a venue then send the invitations. I'll help you on this, Sakura, so there's no need to worry" said Ino as she flashed a warm smile at her bestfriend.

Sakura smiled back at her then stood up to give her a friendly hug. Ino was too good for her, she doesn't know why she deserved a friend such as her.

Ino welcomed the hug "Now, about the venue…"

* * *

"I'm home" greeted Sakura as she entered her humble abode, her hands full with the bouquet of daisies from Ino's shop and a plastic bag containing packed dinner for her and Itachi.

She placed the flowers on a vase and left the packed dinner at the kitchen counter. Then she flopped down on the couch, feeling tired from all the walking she did with Ino to find a venue for her birthday party. Ino had suggested the local club but Sakura disagreed right away, making a comment about how much it would cost her considering the kind of drinkers their friends are. Ino laughed nervously as she felt that that comment was directed towards her and she felt guilty. They continued searching for a venue for a couple more hours until they decided on the hot springs. It was still spring so the weather is still cold, making the hot springs a perfect party venue.

She stayed like that for a few minutes until she felt Itachi's presence. Itachi stared at her questioningly upon seeing her flopped form on the couch. Sakura regarded him with a smile as she took his hand and led him to the kitchen.

"I bought take-out dinner. Let's eat, I'm starving!" she said as she and Itachi set up the table and proceeded in eating their dinner.

Sakura's happy mood didn't go unnoticed by her lover as they ate their dinner "What did you do all day?" he asked.

"I was with Ino the whole day. She suggested throwing a party for my birthday next week so we went around the village to find a venue. In the end, we decided for the party to be held in the hot springs. I hope it's okay with you" said Sakura as she stared at the man across from her, watching him for any negative response.

"I'm not against it" he answered as he took a gulp of water. Sakura smiled at him in response and took a piece from her chicken teriyaki and held it in front of him. Itachi just smirked at her somewhat childish antics as he gave in and opened his mouth. Sakura's smile widened when Itachi returned her gesture and held a shrimp tempura in front of her. She took a bite and they continued feeding each other until they finished their meal.

"How about you, Itachi? What did you do all day?" she asked as she leaned in to him. They have just finished eating dinner and are now resting in the living room, sitting on the couch.

On instinct, Itachi wrapped his arm around her shoulder "I ran a few errands with mother."

Sakura looked up at him with surprise written all over her face "Really? What did you do?"

"Shopping" replied Itachi regrettably, like it was the most embarrassing thing to do in the world.

Sakura giggled as an image of Mikoto dragging her oldest son to go shopping with her popped up in her mind. Itachi regarded her with a stare that said there was nothing funny about it.

"Hahaha… Sorry, Itachi. It's just unusual for you to do those things. But then again," she stopped as she stared at him with a glint in her eyes that Itachi perceived to be love.

"I love that part about you" said Sakura with a grin.

"Really?" he asked teasingly as he leaned down so that their faces were mere inches apart. Sakura blushed at their sudden closeness then bridged the gap within them in a heartwarming kiss.

* * *

Itachi closed his eyes in relaxation as he enjoyed the company of his older cousin in the male side of the hot springs. Time flew by so quickly and today was Sakura's 23rd birthday. He and Shisui decided to dip themselves in the hot water in comfortable silence, knowing too well that that silence will be replaced by the noisy atmosphere Sakura's friends always brought with them.

"All set?" asked Shisui as a grin appeared on his aristocratic face. Itachi regarded him with his usual 'Hn' as he savored this moment of silence. Of course he was ready, he had been planning for this day for a few weeks now and there was no way he'll back out.

All too soon, as Itachi had predicted, the moment of silence was interrupted by the loud voices of Sakura's friends making their way towards the hot springs.

"Hey, no fair! You two got in before us" commented Naruto as he entered the hot springs. He was soon followed by Sasuke, Sai, Shino, Shikamaru, Choji, Genma, Lee, Neji and Kiba. Shino and Genma greeted their captain with a salute, in which Itachi regarded with a simple nod.

"CANNONBALL!" yelled Naruto and Lee as they jumped towards the large hot spring, the hot water leaking out from the impact. Itachi grunted in response as Shisui commented about Naruto and Lee making a flashy entrance.

The remaining men took their places around the hot spring, engaging in light conversations with others. However, Itachi chose to remain silent, silently wishing for all the things to fall into place.

* * *

Light footsteps echoed through the hallway as the door to the female side of the hot springs flew open, its warmth escaping through the open space. Sakura, Ino, Hinata and Tenten gracefully took their place in the hot spring, grateful that there were no other occupants and they can have the area to themselves.

Sakura sighed in relief, it's been so long since her last visit to the hot springs and it always made her day. And it seems that her male friends are enjoying their time at the hot springs, considering the noise they're making from the other end. Itachi must be irritated right now, Sakura thought. He wasn't really accustomed to being with noisy and energetic people such as Naruto and Lee. She just hoped that he won't feel out of place with all her boisterous friends in there. But then again, Shisui is there so he'll have company.

"So… Hinata," started Ino as she stared at Hinata, who blushed furiously at the mention of her name. Knowing Ino, she'll start with saying something embarrassing.

"I've seen you've grown" continued Ino, a light glint showing in her eyes "How big are they now?"

The lady in question tried to swim away from the blonde girl but she was too slow. Ino cupped Hinata's chest and grinned widely upon knowing how much she has grown.

Sakura submerged deeper into the hot spring, leaving her eyes out of the water as she watched Ino and Hinata. She really wanted to avoid this subject, but Ino obviously won't let that happen.

"Anyway Hinata, how are things between you and Naruto?" asked Tenten from out of the blue. Ino stopped harassing the lady in question, curious to hear her answer. Sakura sighed again in relief, thankful that the subject has been changed.

"Well, things are progressing well for the both of us" answered Hinata as she played with her fingers, the blush on her cheeks never leaving "Naruto-kun treats me well"

Sakura smiled happily at her. A month after Orochimaru's attack, Naruto finally asked Hinata to go out with him. Of course, the Hyuuga girl nearly collapsed, leaving Naruto bewildered. Their relationship progressed throughout the months and after three months of dating they finally became an official couple.

Another smile escaped from Sakura's lips. Everybody she knows seems to be hooking up. Neji and Tenten have been a couple for a few months now and so does Naruto and Hinata. Shikamaru surprisingly is managing his long distance relationship with Temari. Genma and Anko just got engaged recently, with Anko carrying their 5-month old baby inside her. Sasuke has taken a liking to one of the girls he met at a party he was forced to attend to, most likely by the Uchiha elders. Ino and Sai are still madly in love with each other. Kiba is dating a female shinobi who also has a dog partner, and it seems Akamaru likes her too. And the most shocking, Kakashi is in a relationship with a shinobi musician named Hanare and are planning on settling down soon.

Sakura laughed slightly at the memory of the night when their sensei decided to break the news to them. They have just finished a mission in the lightning country and are on their way home when night came and they have to set up camp. Naruto was making jokes about Kakashi not finding a woman to settle down with because of his lazy-ass attitude. Kakashi quickly corrected him, telling his blonde student that he indeed has a girlfriend and are already making plans for marriage. Of course, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura laughed their stomachs out at the joke their sensei told. It was only then when Kakashi showed them his stern expression, one that they usually see when facing enemy nin, that they came to realization that their sensei was indeed telling the truth, and they almost choked on their food.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she felt warm water splashed on her face. She looked up and saw Ino grinning widely at her. She splashed back at her blonde best friend, immediately declaring a battle with her. Tenten and Hinata joined in the fight too.

"Water Bomb Technique!" yelled Ino as she finished making the hand seals and a sphere-shaped water form appeared. Sakura put chakra to her fist and tried to punch it, but she was too late. The water bomb exploded and got everything wet. Ino stuck her tongue out as she stood above the water using her chakra. The three ladies was pushed a few steps back from the impact.

Hinata used her byakugan and attacked Ino's feet which caused her to lose the chakra she was holding and fell to the water.

"Take this!" shouted Sakura as she summoned a tidal wave and it came crashing down on the three females. Hinata and Ino jumped back to evade Sakura's attack and Tenten protected herself by spinning rapidly and managed to create a small water tornado.

Ino, Hinata and Sakura tried to search for a safe place but sadly there was none. The water tornado kept on growing until it finally exploded.

"Oy! What's with all the commotion!" yelled Naruto from the other end of the hot spring. Upon hearing his voice, the ladies stopped their little friendly battle. Sakura looked at each of her friend's face and laughed very hard upon seeing their battle-ready expressions. Ino was the next to laugh, she didn't expect that the water splash she gave Sakura would initiate this kind of battle. Hinata and Tenten joined in on the laugh, realizing what they just did.

"Oy! What's with all those explosions and stuff! What are you doing there!" asked Naruto once again but all he received was laughter from the other end of the hot spring.

* * *

Sakura smiled as she munched on her food, the incident at the bath earlier still stuck on her mind. They are now enjoying their meal at the dining area after soaking in the warmth of the hot springs. The interior of the dining area resembles one of a traditional Japanese house. They sat on a mat at the tatami floor with their individual tables.

"Cheers to Sakura's birthday!" said Lee as he suggested a toast. The rest of them followed as they raised their glass with sake.

"May you always possess the spring time of youth" Lee added before he sat back on his chair. Sakura regarded him with a nervous laugh.

Itachi stared at Sakura who was seated across from him. She was enjoying herself and for that he was happy for her. He put his hand on his pocket, feeling the small box inside it. He had bought it a week ago with the help of his mother, since he wasn't very knowledgeable in those kinds of things. His mother presented him with a lot of options but they finally came to this one. Sakura is still oblivious to his plan, and he was thankful for that.

Itachi waited for a few more minutes, feeling nervous and excited at the same time. Shisui, the only one among the group who knows of his plan, was telling him encouraging remarks while they were at the bath earlier. However, they seem to be ineffective right now.

And then he stood up without saying a word, causing all the people's attention inside the dining room to linger on him. He walked to her and kneeled so that they were face to face, with her seated at the mat and him kneeling in front of her. Sakura stared at him, confused.

"Sakura" he spoke, aware of the eyes staring at them. Sakura just stared back at him, telling him to continue.

"You've made me realize that there is more to this world than just fighting. You were the one who kept me sane throughout this whole ordeal of being a shinobi. And for that…" he held the small box in front of her, revealing a white gold ring with a big red diamond at the center, with little bits of white diamond adorning it.

Sakura sat there, shocked to the core. She really didn't expect this to happen. Then tears of happiness unconsciously seeped through her emerald eyes, the overwhelming feeling of happiness engulfing her.

"Haruno Sakura, will you be my wife?"

Their friends stared at the two with surprise written all over their faces. Speechless, Sakura nodded her head vigorously with tears flowing freely from her eyes. Their friends applauded upon seeing her reaction. She then enclosed her lover in her embrace, in which Itachi returned and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Everything may not always be perfect for us. There will be times when we might disappoint and cause sadness to each other. But I would gladly accept all of those if it meant spending the rest of my life with you" comforted Itachi as he rubbed her back in gentle circles.

Sakura responded by nodding her head as she kept her hold around his neck. She let the tears flow freely from her eyes. Every girl fantasizes about the time when their beloved asks for their hand in marriage, she just couldn't believe that she is experiencing it right now.

She didn't care that she was getting his shirt wet, that all of their friends' eyes were on them or that they might be the talk of the town by tomorrow. She didn't care for all of that right now. All she cared about was the man who just asked to spend the rest of his life with her and the bright future that awaits them.

* * *

Itachi could feel his fiancée's nervous energy as they stood beside each other in front of a huge oak door. It had only been five days since the wedding proposal and here they are now, at their engagement party. Itachi didn't really like such kinds of gatherings and so did Sakura. They prefer a more much intimate and small gathering with only their families and close friends but apparently some of the Uchihas disagreed. Itachi is after all the heir to the Uchiha clan and an occasion such as this is necessary.

Itachi gave Sakura's hand a light squeeze, reassuring her that everything will be alright. Sakura regarded him with a meek smile.

"You'll back me up, right? Even if I were to make a fool of myself"

"I'll make sure you won't" came his short answer as he gripped her hand tighter and opened the door.

Many familiar and unfamiliar faces greeted them upon their entrance. They were already the center of attention and Sakura's nervousness grew more. They walked along the room, hand-in-hand, as people greeted them.

It took them almost an hour to get some punch with all these unfamiliar people congratulating them on their engagement. Itachi disliked the fact that he'll experience more of these kinds of gatherings once he is made the head of the Uchiha clan.

"Can we sit for a while?" asked Sakura whose slumped shoulders told Itachi that she is tired. Well, they've been entertaining the guests for about two hours now so they deserve to have a little break.

They took a seat at an empty table and it was only then that Sakura released the breath she didn't thought she was holding. Itachi tangled his fingers with hers under the table and she smiled warmly at him. He was happy that Sakura managed to hold her nervousness and smile willingly to the guests. Their intimate moment was suddenly cut short when they saw Mikoto and Fugaku Uchiha coming up to sit with them.

Sakura's nervousness rose again as she saw her soon-to-be mother and father-in-law nearing. Itachi noticed this and gave her hand another squeeze. She has met his parents countless of times before, but back then they were just Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha, parents of Itachi and Sasuke. And now they are her future father and mother-in-law.

"I hope you're having a good time, Sakura" told Mikoto as she sat on the chair across Sakura. Fugaku followed suit as he sat beside his wife and across from his eldest son.

"I am, Mikoto-san. Thank you for your concern" replied Sakura as she flashed her future mother-in-law a gentle smile.

"You have to stop calling me by my name, Sakura. You're going to be my daughter-in-law soon so you have to start calling me okaa-san" said Mikoto quite childishly as she returned Sakura's smile with one of her own.

"Have you set the date?" asked Fugaku as he stared at his eldest son.

"Not yet" Itachi said frankly. It's too early to set the date, he pondered mentally.

"I've heard from the guests that they like you, Sakura, not only for your appearance but also for your capabilities as a shinobi. You and my Itachi will make cute and lovely married couple!" squealed Mikoto with joy. Sakura gave her a meek smile while Itachi just sat there with a slight glint in his eyes. Sakura knew from that spark in his eyes that he was happy upon hearing the guests' reactions.

"Sakura"

The sudden mention of her name brought her attention to Fugaku who had called her.

"What are your plans after the marriage? Will you quit your life as a shinobi, like my wife did, or will you do the opposite?" asked Fugaku as he stared at his soon-to-be daughter-in-law.

Sakura gulped before giving her answer, her mind made up. "I will choose the opposite, Fugaku-san. I believe that my skills are very beneficial to the village and I intend to use it even after the marriage"

Fugaku nodded in understanding, although he was against it at first. He had a talk with his wife, as she predicted that Sakura might not quit being a kunoichi. Of course he was against it. The wife of the head of the Uchiha clan was always expected to leave her responsibilities behind and focus only on her husband and their children. That was the tradition and suddenly breaking it is unreasonable. Then Mikoto said to let Sakura choose for herself, a thing that didn't happen to herself as she was forced to leave her responsibilities as a kunoichi of Konoha behind after marrying Fugaku.

Fugaku thought about it for a while, what his wife said really had an impact on him. And it was only at that time that he realized that his wife made a lot of sacrifices just for him and their family. And that includes her freedom, the free will to choose for herself. Every decision she made is always for the benefit of the clan, even if she was against it personally.

It was then that Fugaku decided that he will whole-heartedly accept the decisions that Itachi and Sakura will make in the future. He had raised his son to be the heir of the Uchiha clan and he is old enough now to make his own decisions without his father's guidance.

His father's response surprised Itachi a little. Somehow, he imagined his father disagreeing with his fiancée's decision. But nonetheless he was glad. Sakura is simply not the person who'll just sit in the corner and wait to be commanded, something that most Uchiha women are accustomed to at home. The change in his father also didn't go unnoticed by Itachi. Fugaku seems to be acting more fatherly-like towards him and Sasuke. Well, maybe he has accepted the fact that he and Sasuke are adults now and can walk their own paths in life.

"Anyway," Fugaku mentioned as he put his cup of tea down, staring at Sakura.

"What about your family? We have yet to meet them" he asked, Mikoto nodded her head in response. She had heard that Sakura lives by herself so she hasn't heard anything about her soon-to-be daughter-in-law's family.

Sakura stopped in her tracks as she heard Fugaku ask about her family. How can she be so stupid as to not expect that question? She was so preoccupied with the fact that she is now engaged to marry the love of her life that she has forgotten about her unknown family. Of course, she had gotten over the fact that her biological and adoptive family are now gone but the thought of no one accompanying her towards the altar to her future husband deeply saddened her.

She stared back at Fugaku and Mikoto, who were waiting for her answer. She guessed she have to give them a decent answer, in one way or another.

"Sakura's family passed away a long time ago" Itachi answered for her. Sakura stared back at her fiancé, surprised and thankful.

Mikoto was sad for a moment before she turned to her usual cheerful self, in hopes of brightening the mood. "Well, we'll be your family soon, Sakura. And I'm happy to have you as my daughter-in-law".

Sakura forced a smile on her face as she stared at the woman in front of her. "Thank you, okaa-san"

Itachi stared at his fiancée out of the corner of his eye. She was happy at one moment before the thought of her family crossed her mind and her aura drastically changed from being happy to sad. Unfortunately, he is rendered useless as of that moment. He couldn't even think of anything to say to relieve her of her sadness.

Sakura turned her head to him as she felt him become tense "I'm okay, Itachi" she said as she forced yet another smile.

Itachi didn't believe it.

* * *

Sakura closed her bedroom door as she flopped down on her comfy bed. It had been three days since the engagement party. She was sad for a moment when Fugaku asked about her family but the sadness disappeared when Itachi took her out to the balcony and gazed at the stars with her, telling her stories that managed to make her feel better. But when they went inside to entertain more guests, they suddenly started asking questions about her family one by one. It felt like she was being slapped across the face over and over again when she or Itachi had to answer their guests' question. It served as a painful reminder that her whole family is gone.

Itachi was obviously worried about her and decided to give her time to think by herself. He and his team have been sent to a mission the day after the party and they are expected to return by tomorrow evening. His absence provided her with time for herself but she used most of it by lending a hand at the hospital or assisting Tsunade with her paperwork. Of course she had thought of her non-existent family but thinking more and more about it made her more frustrated. She had talked to no one about her problem, seeing as all of her friends are either doing a mission or simply busy with their own lives.

She sighed in frustration as she shifted in her bed. Working the day off surely made her physically tired and all she wanted to do right now is to drift off to sleep and hope that she'll feel better once she wakes up tomorrow. But her mind is not cooperating.

Sakura kept on tossing and turning on the bed, willing herself to sleep, until she felt a very familiar chakra signature. She got up from her bed but a knock on her bedroom door told her that he was already at her doorstep. She hastily opened her door and let her fiancé in. She did a thorough scan on his body and smiled when she saw no injuries or wounds.

"Welcome home" she greeted as she gave him a warm embrace, in which he returned.

"I'm home" muttered Itachi as he planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"How was the mission? I thought you were supposed to return by tomorrow evening" mentioned Sakura as both of them sat on her bed.

Itachi stared at her for a moment, taking note of the sadness in her eyes that she has been trying so hard to conceal. "I was worried about you" he replied, a genuine care shown through his dark eyes.

"But I'm okay. There's nothing to worry about" she lied as she forced a smile on her lips. He wouldn't understand how she's feeling right now. Someone like him who has a solid family background couldn't possibly sympathize with her.

Itachi's eyes narrowed on her, telling her that he saw through her lie and will get through the bottom of the issue whether she likes it or not.

Sakura sighed in defeat moments later, seeing as the stubborn Uchiha won't take no for an answer. Well, she did want someone to hear her problems out and here he was, ready to lend her an ear.

"I thought I was over it. It happened so long ago, but I clearly wasn't" she said softly as she stared down at her lap, forcing herself to keep her emotions at bay.

"It just bothers me that there won't be a father to escort me as I walk down the aisle and nobody will be there at my side when it's time to take photos. You have so much people on your side Itachi, while I have none at mine" she said as she finally succumbed to her emotions and let the tears fill her eyes and spill on her cheeks. She cupped her face, not wanting him to see how broken she is right now.

Itachi removed her hands from her face and lead her to sit on his lap and cry on his shoulders. She didn't hesitate and took his offer, clutching at his shirt as tears made its way out of her emerald orbs. She didn't hold back anymore, she has been keeping this problem all to herself these past few days, not expecting anyone to understand how she feels.

Itachi just kept his hold on her as she clung to him for dear life. So that's what the issue is. He had thought that she simply missed her family, but he was clearly mistaken. It was something deeper. He was glad to finish their mission a day earlier. Who knows how she'll be if he returned to the village as scheduled?

This was the first time he saw her cry like this since her adoptive parents passed away. It saddened him to see how broken she is right now but he also knew that she needed this.

Sakura kept on crying until it gradually faded into small sobs. Itachi let her pour herself out, uttering soothing words every now and then as he kept a protective hold on her. This was one of his many traits that Sakura loved so much. He was indeed a very powerful shinobi but never did he made any comment about crying as a weakness whenever she sought him out and let her emotions loose.

"The people of Konoha are your family, Sakura. Though you may not be related to them by blood, they treat you as one of their own. You have many people on your side, Sakura. You just have to see through the darkness and open your eyes more" he muttered in a soothing voice as her sobs died down completely.

She gave a little nod as she still held on to him, although this time her grip had loosened. They stayed like that until Sakura's even breathing told Itachi that she has drifted off to slumber.

He gently placed her on the bed and tucked her in. Then he went to the bathroom that was connected to his room and took a little shower. After changing into his night clothes Itachi returned to her room and slid in to the empty space of her bed.

After what just happened, Itachi knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep soundly without her near him for tonight.

* * *

Itachi breathed out a sigh as he lay down on the soft grass with his head placed gently on his fiancée's lap. Sakura rested her back on the bark of the tree, with its soft leaves sheltering them from the sunlight. Two days had passed since her meltdown and he had stayed with her since then, mindful of the fact that those were the times when she needed him most.

He knew how much she appreciated his presence from the way her hands are combing his hair right now. The incident unchained her pent-up emotions and she is doing alright now, although Itachi knew that the issue with her family is still present.

"Itachi…" she trailed off as she kept on combing his hair with her hands, a relaxed expression on her face.

"Hm?" he mumbled as he kept his eyes shut, savoring the moment.

"I… I want to do something… before the wedding" she muttered as she stared at him. He gestured her to go on.

"I… want to find… my family, if there's anyone left"

Itachi opened his eyes and found her staring back at him. Somehow, this matter didn't really come as a surprise for him.

"When will you be leaving?" he asked, not breaking eye contact with her.

"I haven't spoken to Tsunade-shishou yet but I wish to leave as soon as possible. I can't have peace of mind until I know the answer"

Itachi nodded in understanding, knowing that she needs this. "Shall I accompany you?" he asked

Sakura nodded her head negatively "No. This is something I must do myself. Please understand"

Itachi nodded once again before sitting up and enveloping her in his arms. Sakura hugged him back, happy that there was no argument as she imagined.

Then Itachi brought his lips to her forehead and gave it a light kiss, something that he had grown accustomed to for the past two years. Sakura tilted her head upward and was met with a loving kiss.

* * *

Itachi, Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi stood by the huge gate of Konoha. Tsunade thankfully granted Sakura's wish to travel in order to find any trace of her family, but she was only given a month to do so. It might seem short but Sakura was happy anyway.

"You guys better not get into trouble while I'm away. Some of the medics in the hospital are really rough in healing stubborn shinobis such as yourselves" reminded Sakura as she adjusted her backpack.

"We'll try, Sakura-chan, but don't expect anything" said Naruto with a sheepish smile as he scratched the back of his head.

"Try not to get into trouble yourself" commented Sasuke, his arms crossed on his chest. Sakura regarded him with a wide grin.

"And you better not get married while I'm away, Kakashi-sensei. I won't forgive you" said Sakura as she turned to her favorite sensei.

"Whatever you say, Sakura" said Kakashi lazily from under his mask.

And then Sakura turned to her fiancé who has a worried look on his face. "Are you sure you want to go alone?" he asked once again.

"Yes, Itachi. This is a journey I must face by myself. And besides," she said as she placed both of her hands to her chest, to her beating heart.

"You live here within me so I won't be alone" she said as a gentle smile made its way to her lips. Itachi answered by enclosing her in his warm embrace.

Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi looked away, somehow embarrassed at the cheesiness of it all.

Sakura tiptoed and met his lips in a loving kiss, in which he returned with as much passion.

"I'll see you in a month then!" said Sakura as she turned and made her way out of Konoha.

Itachi watched her as she kept on walking until there was no more to see of her. Her fiancée's teammates already left a while ago and he turned on his heel to leave.

If Sakura has family issues to attend to, then he has his own issues to take care of.

Issues pertaining to the infamous Akatsuki.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Sorry if you find Itachi's lines somewhat cheesy. I tried my hardest to keep his lines short but meaningful. I felt slightly emotional while I was writing the part when Sakura was opening up to Itachi about her family. I don't know why I felt that way, maybe I was just really inspired at that time but either way it really helped in me writing.

How about you? Do you get emotional while reading/writing a fanfic?

Anyway, this is the second to the last chapter of Unusually. I really had a great time writing and interacting with the readers. I hope you'll stay with me until the end.

I just thought of some questions you might want to ask and here are the answers:

_Who is Hanare (Kakashi's fiancée)?_

She is a shinobi from the Jomae Village. She appeared in the History of Konoha Arc and has a connection to Kakashi. That's why I included her in this story.

_Why pair up Ino and Sai? Why not Shikamaru?_

Because I really like the teamwork of Ino-Shika-Chou. The team just won't be the same if Ino and Shikamaru were to have a relationship.

_Who's the girl Sasuke is seeing?_

To be honest, I really don't know. She's just a made-up nameless character.

Okay, enough of that. As I said earlier, this is the last chapter. But I have pending stories to write so you'll see more of my work in the future. Thanks for staying with me up to now!

See you in the last chapter!

(*^O^*) Peace out! (*^o^*)

**Kaycee**


	16. Chapter 16

**Unusually**

**by Bloody Kaycee**

**Chapter 16: In a very unusual way, you've made me whole**

A lone shadow passed through the dense forest on the outskirts of Konoha in the middle of the night. If it wasn't for the pace she's running on, one could tell that she was a mere civilian from her appearance. She decided not to wear her usual shinobi clothes as it will attract unnecessary attention, especially since the town she just came from was not a shinobi village. But being dressed in civilian clothing didn't mean that she wasn't prepared to intercept any enemy shinobi that will come her way.

Thankfully her thoughts didn't materialize and she has found herself safely inside her beloved village in just a few minutes. She waved cheerfully to the guards on duty and they waved back at her, although not as merrily as she did.

Telling herself that she can't possibly report about her trip to the Hokage at this time of night, she turned towards the direction of her home. She walked in a slow pace, taking in the surroundings that she missed so much during her absence.

The cool breeze of night engulfed her as she made her way towards her home. Silently, she let herself in, not at all bothered by the well-known presence already dwelling in the living room.

"Welcome home" said Itachi as he looked up from the scroll he was reading to land his gaze on her figure.

She smiled at the thought that those words are now directed to her when it was always the other way around.

"I'm home" she smiled heartwarmingly at her fiancé as she advanced towards him. He stood up in a split second and welcomed her embrace.

Sakura closed her tired eyes and took in his musky scent, the scent she has been longing for the past month. She has resisted all the urges to return to Konoha and went on in search for her long-forgotten family. She knew that she needed to find the answers to her questions, she needed to find closure before the wedding.

And she did.

Itachi slipped a stray lock of hair behind her ear as he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. He had managed to get through this past month without her but he also knew that he couldn't stand to wait any longer. He had planned to fetch her himself should she not arrive by tomorrow.

He stared at her under his calculating onyx gaze. Her hair, which seemed to have grown a few inches over the month, was a little disheveled from leaping through the thick forest. Her tired eyes and slumped shoulders told him that she is more than ready to retire to her bed. As much as he wanted to know the details of her month-long journey, he knew that what she needed most right now is sleep.

Itachi slowly broke their contact, excused himself for the night and told her to do the same. He went up the stairs followed by Sakura who went to her own room.

Sakura looked around her bedroom, taking in the details she missed while she was on her journey. Everything was organized, just the way she left it. She changed into her night clothes and flopped down on her bed. Taking a sigh of relief, she relished feeling the soft material of her comfy mattress. She now appreciated her bed more than she did before. But somehow, something seems to be missing and it didn't take another minute for her to realize what it was. After taking a nice and refreshing shower to rid herself of the dirt, she silently made her way out of her room and knocked at the door to her left. Even though they have been together for a long time and were about to get married in a few months, she knew he loved his privacy and she respected that.

She slid the door open when she heard him call out. He stared at her, knowing all too well what she had in mind. He reached his hand out to her as invitation and she took it with a smile. He lied down on the bed with her with the light of the full moon hovering above them. His arm wrapped around her possessively and she did nothing to oppose it and instead leaned in to him more. She pressed her head on his chest, his steady heartbeat lulling her to sleep. But before she fully succumbed to sleep, she managed to utter a few words directed towards the man beside her.

"I love you, Itachi"

Itachi smiled down at his lover before coming up with a reply of his own.

"I love you too, Sakura"

She managed to smile back at him before letting herself drift off to sleep. Itachi closed his eyes happily, knowing that the young woman he has come to love is safe and sleeping soundly beside him.

* * *

Sakura stood in front of the Hokage in her office, having just finished telling her shishou about her month-long quest. Tsunade stared at her student, slightly happy for her that she has found closure to her issues. Her golden eyes then lingered on the Anbu Captain beside her, obviously to give his lover support.

With a sigh, she got herself together and stood up from her chair.

"I believe that you are now ready to take on missions" said the blonde woman as she eyed her student.

"Yes, Tsunade-shishou" answered Sakura with resolve. She knew that what she needed at this time was the adrenaline rush she always felt while doing missions. Before she left for her quest, she has found herself only doing hospital work and some petty B-ranked and C-ranked missions with her team and it was no fun at all. Even Naruto and Sasuke were starting to complain about their missions being too easy.

Tsunade then turned to the only man in the room and handed him a scroll. "Your mission brief. You will mobilize tomorrow morning"

Itachi took the scroll and nodded respectfully to the Hokage.

"If you don't have any more questions, then you're free to go. You too, Sakura" said Tsunade as she sat back in her chair, readying herself to face the pile of paper works again.

Without further ado, the couple turned around to leave with Itachi leading the way.

"Oh, and by the way" remarked Tsunade just as the two were about to leave the room.

"You'll need a medic for your mission tomorrow" she said as she gave a slight smirk to the Uchiha. Sakura was beaming with joy upon hearing what her shishou said and she and Itachi gave a final bow before finally leaving the room.

"What are you so happy about?" asked Itachi as he stared at Sakura happily skipping out of the Hokage Tower.

"Because I'm going on a mission tomorrow! And not just any other mission, but an Anbu mission!" she replied in a 'matter-of-fact' tone.

"With whom?" asked the Uchiha heir with a light smirk. Sakura responded by raising her eyebrow and crossing her arms over her chest.

Amused, Itachi decided to push her more. "I didn't hear the Hokage assign you to any mission"

Sakura just huffed in annoyance "Well, I'm still going with you and your team tomorrow and that's final!" then she stomped off, leaving Itachi with an almost unseen grin on his usually stoic face.

Itachi caught up with his fiancée and took her hand in his as they merrily made their way in to the busy streets of Konoha, her happiness spreading through him like a contagious disease.

* * *

Sakura stared at the glowing full moon from her window as she packed her things for tomorrow's mission. Itachi won't be sleeping here tonight as he is already at his home in the Uchiha Compound, no doubt preparing his things and strategizing for the mission tomorrow. Sakura told him that he should spend as much time as possible with his family as they will be moving in together in their own home after the marriage. It also gave her time to think about herself, especially after her pursuit of finding any members of her family.

She had a hard time finding the whereabouts of her family due to the insufficient information she held. The only things she knew were the names of her father, mother, brother and the small town they resided in when she was young. It took her a week and a half before she finally found someone who held all the answers to her questions regarding her family. It was her grandmother named Atsumi Murata, mother of Sayuri Shinkai, her mother. When Sakura introduced herself, Atsumi's wrinkled face lit up in joy and she poured her eyes out as she hugged her dearest granddaughter. She had never thought that Sakura was still alive after hearing the tragedy that happened to her family.

Although not in the best of health, she tried her best to tell her precious granddaughter the story of her family. It's the least she could do for her granddaughter after more than twenty years of not seeing her.

According to Atsumi, Sakura and her mother Sayuri looked really alike, except for the emerald eyes she got from her father. Her mother was a kind-hearted individual who always served the people selflessly as maker of herbal medicine. Shortly, her mother met Samuro Shinkai, a mere merchant, and got married to him a year after. She soon gave birth to Shinn, Sakura's older brother.

Even with limited resources, she was happily living her life with her husband and son. And in pursuit of making more herbal medicine, Sayuri developed a narcotic herbal drug that had similar effects as to opium. Samuro found out about it and in hopes of providing his family a better future, started selling it. Sayuri agreed to his plan at first, seeing as he is only looking out for his family.

Then after four years his underground business grew bigger and bigger and Sayuri was fed up with it. She was also pregnant at that time to their second child. But Samuro, who was blinded by greed, didn't agree with it and threatened to hurt her, and thus harming the unborn child inside of her. And so she was forced to supply large amounts of that narcotic drug, with a little beating here and there from her husband when they didn't met the demand. Sayuri tried running away with her son and the unborn baby but she didn't have the chance.

And then that fateful day came when Sakura was born. She brought happiness to her family when she came, even to her father who was slowly losing himself. But overworking while being pregnant took its toll on Sayuri and she was met with many complications after giving birth, which resulted to her untimely death just after a week since Sakura's birth.

Sayuri's death was a tragic loss and Samuro agreed for Atsumi to look after the four-year old Shinn and 1-week old Sakura for the mean time. But then he came back a year later and demanded to take the kids with him. Atsumi obviously didn't agree, how can he take care of his children when he can't even help himself? Despite Atsumi's continuous efforts to keep the children away from their father, Samuro won the battle and run away with his children. And that was the last day Atsumi ever saw her grandchildren and her son-in-law.

Sakura remembered how tearful her grandmother had been while telling the story. It must have been torture for her when she heard the news about the family's death. As she remembered from what the Third Hokage said, her father committed suicide right after realizing what he had done to his son and daughter.

Although it was sad to hear how her family died, Sakura relished the fact that all of the questions she had pertaining to her family were answered. Atsumi was the only family she had left as Sayuri was her only daughter and Samuro's whole family, who were mere civilians, got caught up and died in the Third Ninja War. Sakura spent the next two weeks with her grandmother, all the while knowing that she won't last long because of her age. They talked, laughed, cried, and did other things together. For Atsumi, those were the best days of her life.

But as Sakura had predicted, Atsumi passed away shortly, while rested in her bed with a calm smile on her face. She might have had regrets in her life but at least she departed knowing that her granddaughter will be okay. It was as if she was only waiting for Sakura so that she can finally have eternal rest.

Sakura lied down on her bed as she stared up at the full moon outside, feeling the heavy burden of not knowing about her family being lifted up from her shoulders.

She has finally set herself free.

* * *

Itachi sat on the porch of their house at the Uchiha Compound, the scent of weapon polish engulfing his sense of smell as the light of the full moon above shone down upon him. The sound of the crickets lingered around him as he stared back at his reflection on his katana, the katana which Sakura gave him two years ago for his birthday. Although it has been used many times in battle, it shone just like new.

He didn't really fancy swords and katanas. Perhaps, that was because he didn't grow up using them. Kunais and shurikens are more convenient as they can be easily carried, he had always thought. It was only when Sakura gave him that katana that he started having second thoughts. Although he was skilled with it, he trained for a whole week in order to master the use of the katana. Sakura gave it to him because she knew it will be useful someday.

And it did.

He has successfully done missions using the katana she gave him. And it was thanks to the katana that he has finally eliminated the source of his inconvenience for the past few years, the Akatsuki.

He still has yet to tell his fiancée that he, together with his Anbu team and another team from Suna, had killed the remaining members of the infamous group. While she was dealing with her issues about her family, he was dealing with his own issues with the group who had forcefully tried to enlist him into their organization. The Akatsuki is a very dangerous group, consisting of S-class criminals and missing nins. Because of the danger they pose both for the allied villages of Konoha and Suna, which have their own tailed beasts, Tsunade and Gaara each sent a team to help each other immobilize the infamous organization.

It didn't take long for them to reach the hideout and they were met with the last three members of the group. According to the gathered information, Akatsuki has been falling apart ever since the leader, Nagato, died. Apparently, it was due to an incurable disease the rinnegan had bestowed upon him in exchange for power.

The remaining members they faced were Hoshigake Kisame of the Mist, Deidara from Iwagakure and an unidentified shinobi called Zetsu. His eyes narrowed immediately at the memory of his last encounter against the blond missing nin. Genma and Shino had the same reaction as they regarded the clay artist. Personal grudge or not, Itachi decided to finish the feud between him and Deidara, leaving the other two opponents in his team's capable hands.

It was a long battle seeing as his opponent was as stubborn as his brother's blond teammate could be. But his fight with the artist soon ended when he used his Mangekyou Sharingan and eliminated him for sure. The group of sand shinobi they were with was indeed skillful and had managed to kill the Venus flytrap that was Zetsu. Genma and Shino teamed up and successfully killed the missing nin from the mist who had similar features as to sharks.

Relief flooded through him upon seeing the lifeless bodies of the last members of the Akatsuki. Psychotic as it may seem, it was the truth. He had told himself that he can't possibly settle down knowing that a group of criminals is after him. The last thing he wanted was for Sakura to be in harm's way because of him.

He swiftly lifted the katana up to have the light of the moon reflected on its smooth surface. He knew that the world of shinobi is anything but sure. But he finally felt peace of mind knowing that both his and Sakura's problems are now solved.

* * *

The pink-haired woman stared hard at the piece of paper in front of her. She told herself that she is an elite shinobi, an excellent kunoichi trained none other than the Fifth and present Hokage of Konoha herself and has done numerous missions, some of them as dangerous as S-ranked missions. She has dealt with much more difficult problems, this one shouldn't be giving her a hard time!

Sakura grunted in frustration as she slammed the paper down in her wooden dining table, thankful that it didn't break in the process. She'll have training with her team in the morning and an evening shift at the hospital tomorrow, this piece of paper should be the least of her worries!

The wedding planner they hired said that she'll do all the necessary preparations for the wedding as it was her job to begin with, the engaged couple just have to supply her with the necessary information. And it seemed like the most difficult thing to do right now. Itachi's absence in this matter did not do well for her either.

She eyed the paper once again, the bold letterings of 'Uchiha and Haruno Nuptials' distracting her from her problems. All of these seemed so surreal to her. Here she was, a few months to go before her marriage to the Uchiha clan's heir. Looking back, the question of what the clan saw in her for them to approve of her and Itachi's relationship still lingered in the depths of her mind. She was curious but not to the point where she was questioning her own abilities. But still, she was thankful to be with the one she wanted most.

Letting go of her previous thoughts, she stared at the contents of the paper. Although she was pretty sure that either Shisui or Sasuke would be Itachi's best man, it's better to leave him to decide on that. As for her bridesmaid, Ino was the most obvious answer as they have been the best of friends even before their genin days. And in a recent conversation with her, Ino stated that she will be Sakura's bridesmaid, no questions asked.

As for the ring bearer, Sakura was sure Misato, Asuma and Kurenai's son, can do the job. Clearing her head from her earlier frustration, she listed some more names on the list of their wedding entourage. She skipped a few for Itachi to fill up once he gets back from his mission. Then a question popped in her mind, who would escort her down the aisle?

She had asked herself the same question before she took off to find her origins and it still hasn't been answered. She has heard incidents about the father of the groom escorting the bride for the wedding but in their situation, it didn't look as easy as the story she heard. She wasn't particularly close to her future father-in-law, which is why she doubted having Fugaku escort her down the aisle. She has considered walking that path by herself but because of the Uchiha clan's reputation, she can't possibly do that. Countless people will be attending their wedding and it wouldn't sit well if there was no one to walk with her down that dreadful aisle.

She slowly felt the frustration coming back. Why can't they just have a simple wedding? Of course, she already knew the answer but she still can't help asking herself that question. Of course when she was still a child, she had fancied such grand weddings but never did she think that it would happen in the future.

She buried her head in her palms, willing the incoming headache to fade away. She told herself that she can't back down now. She knew what she was getting herself into when she agreed to marry the Uchha heir and she decided to accept it whole heartedly.

Because she loves him and he was worth it.

Her lips twitched upwards at that thought and faced her enemy (a.k.a the paper) once again with a new found confidence. In the middle of her inner brooding, a thought came to her. She remembered what Itachi told her when she felt upset a month ago.

"_The people of Konoha are your family, Sakura. Though you may not be related to them by blood, they treat you as one of their own. You have many people on your side, Sakura. You just have to see through the darkness and open your eyes more"_

It didn't take another second before Sakura found the answer to her earlier question. Swiftly, she ran through the door and up to the roofs of the village, eager to find a certain shinobi she has come to love as part of her family.

* * *

Kakashi stared bored at the Icha Icha Tactics he held at his hands, not discerning the words in the book. His inner turmoil was so distracting that he can't even focus on the words on his beloved novel. There's only one thought that was running through his mind: He's getting married tomorrow.

He was glad that the woman he is marrying is understanding and didn't demand anything grand for the wedding. They had agreed to a civil wedding, with a few friends as their witnesses. Leave those grand and expensive weddings to people who can afford it.

Speaking of grand and expensive weddings, his pink-haired student will be up for it in a few months' time. The thought of asking her if she agreed to that kind of wedding hasn't crossed his mind but either way, he felt a little pity for her. Lately, she has been complaining how hard it is to plan for her wedding without the clan taking it all on their hands. Borrowing one of Shikamaru's favorite words, he thought that weddings really are troublesome.

The loud knock on his door pulled him out of his thoughts. He sighed as he stood up from being seated at the window frame, made his way downstairs and opened the door unenthusiastically.

His visible eye took in the form of his fiancé, Hanare, standing in front of him. The dark-haired woman blushed when they made eye contact and took her gaze away from his eyes. Kakashi gestured for her to come in but she refused, saying that she won't be staying for long.

When she finally got herself together, Hanare looked up at the man she'll be marrying tomorrow with a genuine smile on her face.

"I'm really looking forward to our wedding tomorrow"

"Me too" answered Kakashi as he felt himself warm up to her actions.

And without further ado, Hanare stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his lips, well at least the general outline of his lips she could make out from behind his mask. And then she was gone in a puff of smoke.

Kakashi stood still for a couple more seconds before he closed the door and flopped down on his couch, flipping out Icha Icha Tactics he tucked in his pocket earlier. Well, that's just weird. He'll never be able to understand women at all, even though he'll be married tomorrow.

A few minutes passed and he heard another knock on the door. He sighed as he got up from his couch to open the door again. What does Hanare want to say this time?

Instead of dark hair, pink hair caught his attention as he opened the door.

"Good evening, Kakashi-sensei" she greeted as she flashed him her one of her usual smiles.

He just nodded at his student and gestured for her to come in, but just like Hanare she refused. Really? What's up with women this evening?

"So, I take it you want to tell me something?" he asked, his annoyance being covered by his mask.

Sakura just smiled sweetly at her sensei, a smile which told Kakashi that she was planning something maniacal or something like that. He didn't really know how to react as that smile was usually directed to either Sasuke or Naruto or both when they've gotten themselves into trouble.

"So…" he let his voice hang "what do you want to tell me?"

She then pointed her index finger at him "You better have a nice suit 'coz you're the one who'll be walking me down the aisle for my wedding"

And with that, she turned on her heel and disappeared to the rooftops, leaving her sensei standing by the door while digesting her words.

Once Kakashi grasped what she said, he closed the door and went to his bedroom to retire for the night.

It seems he really can't avoid grand and expensive weddings.

* * *

Itachi shifted his weight on the bed so that he held his fiancée closer to his body. It was the middle of the winter season and the chilly air it offered gave the engaged couple another reason to sleep beside each other, the warmth of their bodies helping to fight off the coldness.

He took in the silent sounds of her breathing as he brushed off a few strands of hair away from her face. After many discussions, they agreed for the wedding to take place early spring next year, a month and a half from now. The promise of new life that the spring season has to offer also marks as a new era to the Uchiha clan once he ascends as their new clan leader. He had grown up disliking some aspects of the clan, mostly politics, and vowed to make a change once his time comes.

The sound of soft murmuring brought his attention back to the woman he held in his arms. He was happy that she didn't have any issues on marrying into a clan, and a prestigious one at that. Although she might have a hard time dealing with the clan at first, he was sure she'll be able to handle it in a matter of time. And it's not like she'll be dealing with them on her own, he will be there and so will Sasuke and his parents.

Unconsciously, he breathed out a sigh of relief. The world they are living in is so dangerous he found it hard to believe to have peace of mind. And then his eyes lingered to the serene face of the angel sleeping beside him. Only she can make him feel like this, like the entire world has disappeared and there was only the two of them. He was indeed very fortunate to have a woman such as Sakura to be his wife. She had entrusted her whole self to him at the very beginning of their relationship, and he'll make sure to live up to his promise even at the cost of his life.

"What are you thinking about?"

Itachi looked down to see Sakura staring up at him with her bright emerald eyes which still had some tints of sleepiness. The thought of him not being able to tell when she woke up because he was too focused on his thoughts didn't bother him at all. He let a small smile escape from his lips.

Sakura, although still sleepy, managed to make out a smile of her own. Itachi rarely smiled and she knew the smile he had just shown was only for her eyes to see. His dark obsidian eyes glistened at the sight of her and she felt her insides tingling. Itachi's eyes are probably one of his best features as it can show a myriad of emotions with just one look.

She cupped his face with both of her hands and let her thumb brush against his cheek. Itachi leaned in to her touch, savoring the contact, and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead in response. Sakura smiled in satisfaction then laid her head on his chest, hearing the steady sound of his heartbeat.

"You still haven't answered my question" she asked softly as she stared up at his aristocratic face. The light of the moon shining through the window did nothing but make his appearance even more desirable.

It didn't take another second for Itachi to voice out his answer as the sides of his lips twitched upwards in a gentle smile "You."

Sakura smiled warmly in return as she lowered her head once again to his chest, the sleepiness coming back to her. While her lover is not like Rock Lee who always expressed his thoughts and feelings, he has his own way of showing her just how greatly he loves her. Whether it be as simple as holding her hand in public or as grand as the way he is now enclosing her in his protective embrace, she had learned to appreciate his gestures that told her of his exact feelings.

"Really? What am I doing in your thoughts?" she asked as she closed her eyes and took in his musky scent.

Without another thought, Itachi came up with his answer "Making me happy for the rest of my life"

"In what ways?"

A smile never left her face as Itachi went on and on about how she could make him happy in the near future. Sakura didn't really pay attention to what he was saying as his voice reached her ears like a soft lullaby gently sending her to the land of slumber. She always felt relaxed knowing that he's here and not anywhere else. Itachi knew how much she liked hearing him talk just about everything under the sun until she fell asleep. It made him relax too as he found that expressing his thoughts to her prove to be therapeutic.

"Are you asleep?" Itachi asked softly as he stared down at her fragile form.

"Yes" Sakura murmured, already half asleep which caused a smirk to appear on her beloved's face.

Itachi went on with his story, not minding the sounds of her steady breathing which indicated that she is now fully asleep. The way she was peacefully sleeping in his arms resembled the way he had carried her in his arms on that fateful day he and his team rescued her from her abusive father. She was so vulnerable back then that he wanted nothing more than to protect her. It was a weird feeling for him to want to protect someone who has no connection whatsoever to him. Hell, he hadn't even known her name at that time. It was such a weird feeling that even a shinobi as intelligent as himself couldn't come up with an answer. And then a warm smile made its way to his lips as a sudden realization hit him.

He had loved her the moment he laid his eyes on her.

His younger self couldn't comprehend that fact, but now that he's older and more mature it was as clear as the moon shining above Konoha and all of the Great Shinobi Nations. If someone were to tell him at that time that the girl he had rescued would turn out to be his future wife, he would tell that person to get himself checked at the nearest mental institution. It might have seemed surreal but he has nothing to complain about.

Never had he thought that the young girl he rescued years and years ago would end up saving him but in an incredibly different way. She had kept him sane in this crazy world of ninja. She was the one he always turned to when he just want to get away from the rest of the world. She always welcomed him with arms wide open. She never forced him to tell her what's wrong but instead always lent an ear to listen to his ramblings.

Yes, she was all of that and she was his.

His to love dearly.

His to protect with all of his being.

His to marry soon.

His to start a family of their own.

His to cherish deeply.

And his to spend the rest of his life with.

* * *

Uchiha Sakura.

Her heart skipped a beat everytime she was addressed that way. She still wasn't accustomed to her new name for the fact that she had just acquired that last name two days prior. It sent a warm feeling inside of her and she knew that it was just a matter of time before she got used to being addressed as such. She laughed mentally as she remembered fantasizing about being Mrs. Uchiha back in her academy and early genin days, but with a different Uchiha. But it was all in the past now and she was sure her husband wouldn't take it to heart.

A hand ran up and down her bare back in a slow, easy motion as she turned around and met the serene face of her husband.

"What are you thinking about?" Itachi asked with a soft voice, almost like a whisper.

Yes, what is she thinking about? Sakura asked herself mentally. There was so much going on in her head that she found that simple question hard to answer. Her thoughts were so rambled she didn't even know where to start.

"You" she managed to answer as she realized that all of her thoughts revolved around him.

Satisfied with his wife's answer, Itachi pulled her close, their bare chests connecting. Sakura cupped his face with her right hand, suddenly becoming aware of the new ring that decorated her finger. Itachi seemed to notice that as his arm snaked its way around her waist.

The wedding took place in a beautiful garden chosen by none other than the couple themselves. It was such a day to remember as the early spring breeze came upon them, with a promise of a bright future upon its wake. Itachi had chosen his cousin, Shisui, to be his best man, or rather Shisui guilt tripped his younger cousin for him to be the one beside him on his special day. Itachi didn't argue with him, knowing that it will be futile. And it's the least he can do to thank his older cousin for all of his help.

Sakura walked down the aisle, with a somewhat emotional Hatake Kakashi accompanying her, in a sleek and elegant red wedding dress. Itachi always said that red complimented her well and it was also a sign that she won't just be any regular Uchiha wife, she and Itachi had made that clear when they got engaged.

Their fairy tale-like wedding caught the attention of most of the people of Konoha. It's not everyday an ordinary woman marries the heir to a prestigious clan. But Itachi begged to disagree, Sakura is not just an ordinary woman. She has worked hard to be the kunoichi she is now and she deserves the recognition she was getting.

Sakura laughed as she remembered how Naruto was wailing right before the wedding took place, complaining about losing his 'Sakura-chan' to teme's older brother. She laughed at her teammate's sudden outburst and said comforting words to him. Tsunade, despite her duties as Hokage, took the time to attend her apprentice's wedding. She and Sakura had gotten really close, almost like mother and daughter. There was no way she'll be absent in one of the most special days in Sakura's life.

Tsunade also gave them a week off duty for their honeymoon, which is why they're staying in a hotel right now on the outskirts of fire country.

Sakura snuggled closer to her husband, she has never been this close to him before and that made her happy. She stayed true to her promise and saved herself for marriage. Although Itachi hasn't mentioned it, he was happy that she was willing to give him such a special part of her. And so she gave it to him, the day after the wedding which was last night. She was very happy to share such intimate things with him.

Itachi looked at her with desire radiating from his eyes. "Where did we stop last night?" he asked as he placed himself on top of her.

Not at all bothered by the sudden weight pushing her down the bed, Sakura chuckled and her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck. He pulled down and met her lips hungrily.

Oh, what a great way to start the morning!

* * *

Small waves splashed on the shore as the early morning sun settled on its rightful position, with a promise of a bright and sunny day ahead to all the inhabitants of the little town they were currently staying at. Two pairs of feet trudged through the sands of the shore, their steps in sync with each other. The little town where the newlyweds were staying at was famous for its beautiful white-sand beaches. They still have four days left of their honeymoon and they intend to maximize it.

Sakura smiled as she felt her husband's hand grip hers tightly. That little gesture was enough for Itachi to deliver his words to his wife as she leaned and rested her head on his shoulder in response. Today was a good day to just relax and be with the person they had promised to be with forever.

Even though they were not having a conversation, just their bodies pressed against each other were enough to make Sakura happy. Looking back, she regarded the footprints they made along the stretch of the shore. It made her think about the journey that led her to where she was. She couldn't actually say that the journey was a pleasant one, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

Her gaze then shifted to her husband, who was regarding her with a stare she has come to know as a stare of loving. She has never felt this happy before in her twenty three years of existence. Itachi completely washed away all the sufferings she has felt and filled in the missing pieces in her life. How she was able to fall for an enigmatic man such as her husband is beyond her knowledge but she knew fate brought them together and not even death itself could separate the two of them.

Opening her eyes, she stared at the length of the shore they haven't walked to yet. Their marriage signifies a new chapter in their lives and by walking together, hand in hand, they will surely get to their chosen destination.

"I love you" Itachi spoke softly as he stared at her the same way he was staring earlier.

Sakura sighed in utter relief as she managed to make out an "I love you too" to him. And without further ado, their lips met in a heated kiss full of passion. Her arms wrapped around his neck on instinct as his arms circled around her slender waist possessively. They only broke apart when the need for oxygen surfaced. Itachi then placed his forehead on his wife's own as a rare smile appeared on his lips. Sakura didn't know what exactly that was but she had an intuition that what her husband is feeling right now is similar to hers.

What they have for each other is beyond words. Nothing in this world could quite equate the way they are feeling for one another.

From savior and damsel in distress, to lovers and now an officially married couple, some might think that their love story is a typical one. But Sakura disagrees, the unusual circumstances they faced on the course of their relationship made it more worthwhile. If someone were to ask her, given the chance, if she would like to redo something in her past, she would gladly decline that offer. Although painful, those events lead her to be the person she is now and it also lead her to the man she loved with all her being.

Sakura then smiled as they took each other's hands once again and started walking along the shore, engraving their footprints in every step they took.

Yes, life has been cruel, it has always been especially to those living in the dangerous world of shinobi. But despite the cruelties life had bestowed upon her, Uchiha Sakura was happy and contented.

Because in a very unusual way, someone had made her whole.

And she's walking hand in hand with him, towards a bright future.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

This is the last chapter of Unusually. Thank you very much for joining me in this wonderful journey. To those who reviewed, those who included Unusually to their favorites, those who subscribed to story and author alerts and especially to those who included me in their favorite authors, you have my sincerest gratitude. Especially those who gave their reviews, you guys kept me going and your reviews inspire me to write more.

For those of you who noticed, it took me more than two years to complete this story. I almost gave up on this at the time when I was still studying. But somehow, I knew that I can't just abandon this so I pushed through. I really love writing.

This story is inspired by the song "Unusual Way", a soundtrack from the movie "Nine". If you have time, do check it out.

I assure you that this won't be the last time I'll write. I guess the next project for me is continuing CrimsonSnowflake's "A Game of Seduction". I suggest you read it if you have time, it's a good read. But sadly, she can't continue it anymore so she left it in my care. I can't tell when I'm going to upload it but I'm starting on it as for now.

For the last time, thanks again for all the support, I greatly appreciate it. I hope you'll continue to support me in my future projects.

Please leave a review! It will be a great help!

As we say it in Filipino, paalam at sana magkita tayo muli!

**Bloody Kaycee**


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